MOF Budget Chief Okamoto to Become Vice Finance Minister

July 13, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government has decided to promote Shigeaki Okamoto, 57, director-general of the Ministry of Finance's Budget Bureau, to vice minister, informed sources said Friday.

The top administrative post at the ministry has been vacant since the last occupant, Junichi Fukuda, 58, resigned in April over a sexual harassment scandal.

The government is expected to approve Okamoto's promotion at a cabinet meeting and put it into effect as early as this month.

Before becoming Budget Bureau head in July 2017, Okamoto served as deputy vice minister. In the post, he dealt with document management and the ministry's response to parliamentary questions, just as ministry documents were manipulated over a cronyism scandal involving school operator Moritomo Gakuen, once linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife.

Because of this background, the ministry initially planned to appoint Tax Bureau Director-General Tsuguhiko Hoshino, 58, as vice minister.

However, the prime minister's office has chosen Okamoto, long viewed as the top runner for the vice-ministerial post, expecting him to better lead the ministry's efforts to restore public trust, the sources said. Jiji Press