The MS plays the role of "leading the ministry" by determining the way the ministry should be headed during the planning process, making the policies of the MIC and during the process of drafting bills.
The MS also oversees the entire MIC and coordinates paperwork within the ministry to ensure it is smoothly conducted,thereby making the ministry livelier.
To promote the personnel administration of government officials from a government-wide viewpoint, the PPB sets the basic policies for personnel management within the government and coordinates personnel management comprehensively, while promoting personnel administration as times change.
The PPB also enhances and otherwise administers the treatment of people under pension to public servants, which is Japan's oldest pension program and still supports about 980,000 pensioners.
The ABM makes administrative organs and services efficient and improves quality to allow citizens' voices to be heard in administration.
To that end, the ABM promotes the slimming-down of the administration and uses information technology to promote e-government.
Moreover, the ABM discloses information in administrative organs and protects private information, thereby applying laws appropriately to ensure citizens' confidence in the administration.
Aiming to realize an effective and efficient citizen-oriented administration, the AEB uses a nationwide investigation network consisting of Regional Administrative Evaluation Bureaus and District Administrative Evaluation Offices and performs work related to: (1) Policy Evaluation, (2) Evaluation of Incorporated Administrative Agencies, (3) Administrative Evaluation and Inspection, and (4) Administrative Counseling.
To help local public entities manage their administration smoothly, the LAB works to promote regional decentralization, plan and draft the system of local self-government, arrange a regional administrative system, promote municipal mergers, build a network system for basic residents' register, build vigorous communities, promote local e-governments, internationalize regional community, arrange and enhance the local public employee program, and take a wide range of other measures.
Regarding the election system, which is the most important system for the citizens to participate in politics, the LAB plans and drafts its measures in an attempt to establish a fair and appropriate election system.
The LPFB drafts plans for regional finance, thereby ensuring and coordinating funds for administrative services that meet various inhabitant needs, such as arranging welfare, school education, fire defense, roads, rivers, and other forms of social infrastructure.
Based on the results of the recent three tax reforms, the LPFB works to conduct a new set of reforms in the regional decentralization system.
Local taxes are an important element of financing for prefectures and municipalities to provide education, welfare, fire defense, rescue, garbage management, and various other inhabitant services. Local taxes are therefore a membership fee for the community. By enhancing and reinforcing these local taxes, we proceed with regional decentralization and plan and draft taxation revisions corresponding to changes in the Japanese socioeconomic community.
- ■Global ICT Strategy Bureau
In order to enhance the international competitiveness of Japan's ICT (*) industry and handle the fusion and collaboration of communications and broadcasting, the organizations involved in telecommunications were restructured and the Global ICT Strategy Bureau (GISB) was established. Due to this organizational change, the functions for planning policy and research, research policy and international policy previously divided among three divisions were consolidated under a single division to lead the comprehensive promotion of ICT strategies through integrated collaboration with other divisions.
* Information & Communications Technology - ■Information and Communications Bureau
The Information and Communications Bureau promotes the digitalization of broadcasting and advanced use of Information & Communications Technology (ICT). The Information and Communications Bureau also works for ensuring the success of postal service privatization that began in October 2007. - ■Telecommunication Bureau
According to the use of both broadband and mobile IP networks, rapid structural changes have been proceeding in the informationcommunications field, which has reached a major turning point.
The Telecommunications Bureau works to promote competition in the telecommunications business, the development of a secure and reliable environment for using information-communications infrastructure, efficient use of radio waves and establishment of a globally-advanced wireless broadband environment to handle such changes.
Statistics are basic materials indispensable to socioeconomic affairs and civic life, which serve as a "compass", helping the administration to plan and draft administrative measures and citizens to make appropriate decisions. As socioeconomic conditions change and statistics becomes increasingly important, the Statistics Bureau and the Director- General for Policy Planning (Statistical Standards) arrange and provide statistics to meet needs.