The Daily Manila Shimbun

 

Abe ready to allow more animal medicine faculties

June 25, 2017

KOBE- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday expressed his willingness to allow the launch of more university faculties of veterinary medicine, on top of one planned by Kake Educational Institution, led by a friend of his, in a national strategic special deregulation zone in the city of Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, western Japan.
Such deregulation should be promoted nationwide, he said in a speech in Kobe, the capital of the western prefecture of Hyogo.
The government will permit the establishment of such faculties by any willing university, regardless of where they are set up, Abe said.
Apparently referring to opposition parties' criticism of Abe's alleged favoritism behind the plan by Kake, based in the western city of Okayama, the prime minister said that the government's decision to allow only one institution to open an animal medicine faculty gave rise to suspicion across the nation.
No university faculty of veterinary medicine has been established in Japan in over half a century. The government had rejected the opening of such a department, due to strong opposition from the Japan Veterinary Medical Association.
In the speech, Abe also said that Japan and the European Union have entered the final stages of their tough talks on concluding an economic partnership agreement for free trade. (Jiji Press)