2. Taking metropolitan government reform to a higher level

Making information disclosure part of the TMG culture

Under the Reform Office, which I established as a means to change the structure of the metropolitan government just after taking office, TMG bureaus have, while working together in the spirit of friendly rivalry, reviewed policies and promoted a total of 486 autonomous reforms to improve services for the people of Tokyo and the efficiency of programs. We will continue to instill a reform mindset throughout the TMG -- from young employees to veteran employees -- and advance reform at an even higher level in the future.

To make metropolitan administration more transparent, we are submitting two ordinance bills to this regular session of the Assembly. Through an amendment to the Ordinance on Information Disclosure, we will abolish fees for viewing public documents and minimize fees for issuing paper copies of documents. We will also advance the free provision of data through the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The other bill for a new ordinance concerning the management of public documents positions proper management of public documents as the foundation for information disclosure and aims to ensure that documents are properly organized and stored, and destroyed in strict accordance with procedure, and that decision making and other matters are thoroughly documented. Levering these two proposed ordinances, we hope to further advance transparency to realize a metropolitan administration that is “open to the people of Tokyo and is advanced with the people of Tokyo,” and firmly instill information disclosure as a culture of the TMG.

The steadily changing metropolitan government

In the policy speech I gave in February, I explained that metropolitan administration reform would entail a comprehensive review of all existing structures, systems, and measures. Moving forward, we will now advance three new reforms. The first is “work reform.” This area of reform focuses on individual employees to broadly rethink work styles and the working environment, with the aim to raise productivity and achieve “life-work” balance. Enhancing visibility is the second area of reform. Costs, personnel, and results associated with major programs of each TMG bureau will be made more visible through figures, and productivity will also be compared to that of other cities and private companies. Through these efforts, we will review and improve efficiency of future measures, and conduct a fundamental review of our division of roles with extra-governmental organizations and private companies. These autonomous reforms, which had so far been conducted on the ground level, will be elevated to the level of management and strategic reform. The third area is system reform. Along with further strengthening initiatives for information disclosure and internal control, we will also work to bolster implementation systems by engaging in efforts such as reexamining the roles of extra-governmental and reporting organizations, and improving management tools such as personnel systems and systems to evaluate administrative services.

These three reforms are rooted in three concepts -- putting the people of Tokyo first, information disclosure, and wise spending. Using these concepts as a reference, and while also taking into account the opinions of young employees, each bureau will evaluate its own policies, operations, and other matters, and consider the future vision for the bureau. We will now position the Reform Office as the headquarters for integration of the three reforms. Initiatives have already been launched from April, and we will formulate a reform plan for 2020 at the end of this fiscal year to advance sustainable reform over the next several years.

Concerning the tendering system, we are also advancing reforms to secure transparency so the people of Tokyo do not harbor any doubts about the system. Based on the findings of hearings with industry groups, and after incorporating adjustments to implementation policy to give further consideration to small and medium-sized businesses, we will begin system reform on a trial basis from the end of this month.

Employees of the TMG charged with implementing these reforms are making it their mission to act from the standpoint of putting the people of Tokyo first, to broaden perspectives and always take on challenges, and to practice life-work balance, as they engage daily in taking new approaches for the realization of a Tokyo brimming with hope. Last month, we established compliance guidelines for TMG employees to follow to ensure that metropolitan administration continues to retain the trust of the citizens of Tokyo. Also, at meetings to discuss the future vision for Tokyo, which have been held three times to date, up-and-coming young people from various areas have proposed a number of broad ideas, providing us with considerable stimulation to open up a bright future. As metropolitan administration steadily changes, I will continue to lead TMG employees and strongly advance the grand reform of Tokyo to create the “New Tokyo” where everyone shines.