japan business lobbies call for early restart

TOKYO, June 5 (Bernama) -- Three major business lobbies in Japan on Wednesday submitted a written proposal to Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi for an early restart of idle nuclear reactors in the country.

The three groups were Japan Business Federation (or Keidanren), the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (or Keizai Doyukai), Japan's Jiji Press news agency reports.

"The top priority in energy policy is a quick return to inexpensive and stable supplies of electricity," the groups said in the proposal.

The groups cited rises in electricity rates and other negative effects on the economy of shutdowns at nuclear reactors across Japan after the March 2011 nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima plant.

Keidanren and Toshiba Corp. vice chairman Norio Sasaki told Motegi that energy costs could become the "achilles' heel" of the government's Abenomics economic policy package and economic growth strategy.

Meanwhile, Motegi expressed hope for progress in safety screenings by the Nuclear Regulation Authority that are required for restarts of suspended reactors.

-- BERNAMA

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