Abe Stresses Importance of Accepting Foreign Human Resources

July 24, 2018

Tokyo- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday stressed the importance of accepting human resources from overseas amid increasing manpower shortages in Japan.

"It's urgent to set up a system to accept a wide range of foreign human resources immediately ready for work" in Japan, Abe told the first meeting of relevant ministers on a planned new status of residence for skilled foreign workers.

Abe indicated the target of starting the system as early as April 2019. To the end, he instructed the relevant ministers to speedily make preparations, such as the compilation of necessary legislation and the selection of industries that should be allowed to accept foreigners with the status.

"Human resource shortages are becoming serious at many workplaces, particularly at microbusinesses and small and midsize companies," Abe said.

"Accepting foreigners as members of our society and preparing a good environment for them to live in are important tasks," Abe said, calling for stronger assistance in the area of Japanese language education.

At the meeting, Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa proposed a package of measures, including the establishment of a one-stop consultation service for foreigners on work and life in Japan.

The new residence status is a key item in the government's new guidelines on economic and fiscal policy management drawn up by the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy in June.

The government will grant the status to foreigners with certain levels of professional, technical and Japanese language skills, enabling them to stay in Japan for up to five years.

Those with the status will be allowed to extend their stay indefinitely if they prove during their stay that they have highly specialized skills. Jiji Press