The Japanese government is moving to designate the areas affected by the Kumamoto earthquake in Kyushu, which occurred on July 28, as a 'severe disaster' (special disaster).
According to Yonhap News on August 4, Kyodo News reported that the Cabinet is expected to finalize the designation of the Kumamoto earthquake as a severe disaster during its meeting on August 7, citing a senior government official.
Being designated as a severe disaster will allow for an increase in the allocation of local government grants and enable quicker disbursement of recovery funds using reserve funds.
In this regard, Sanae Takaichi, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, visited the affected areas on August 3 and stated the government's intention to secure sufficient budget for necessary expenses.
Takaichi announced that 20 billion yen (approximately $181 million) will be allocated for recovery efforts and that the government plans to designate the situation as a 'specific emergency disaster,' which would allow for special administrative procedures.
If designated as a specific emergency disaster, bankruptcy proceedings would be temporarily suspended, and individuals would be exempt from legal obligations, such as submitting various documents, if they are unable to meet deadlines.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government decided during the Cabinet meeting to urgently allocate approximately 24.2 billion yen (about $210 million) from this year's budget reserves for recovery costs related to the Kumamoto earthquake.
Of this reserve, 2.4 billion yen will be allocated for 'push-type support,' which allows the government to supply water, food, and portable air conditioners to evacuation centers without requests from affected local governments. Additionally, 1.2 billion yen will be allocated for temporary housing installation costs, and 20.6 billion yen will be designated for road repairs.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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