InsideJapan News Network

Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama has announced plans to cut the number of public servants in the country by 50 per cent.

Hatoyama plans to halve the number of servants by 2011 when compared to numbers from last year, with the cuts part of an overall reform of the political system in Japan.

As well as the public servant slashes, the prime minister has revealed a scheme to stop a common practice in Japan which sees many senior bureaucrats leaving their positions at an early age and securing well-paid jobs at public corporations.

Government revitalization minister Yukio Edano backed the move. He said: "Taking into consideration current fiscal conditions, we should even stop hiring people."

He also called for large-scale reform in the government, while speaking at a press conference in Japan.

However, some others in the government have expressed worry that in times of economic trouble such plans could derail recovery.

Written by Mark Smith.


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