The Kansai Association of Corporate Executives has called for Osaka’s IR bid and development process to be expedited in order to ensure an integrated resort can be opened on Yumeshima island before the 2025 World Expo.
According to local media reports, the Association has released a report titled “6 Recommendations for Osaka’s application guidelines – all hands on deck for Osaka/Kansai IR opening before the World Expo”.
At the top of the agenda is the verdict that it should be made “possible to open the IR property for business prior to the 2025 World Expo.” If that deadline is not met, there will be legitimate concerns that the opening of the IR business would be significantly delayed due to construction restrictions that will be in place while the expo is running.
As a countermeasure, the Association proposes early regional approval and a speeding up of the legal process as well as expediting construction by establishing the “Yumeshima Development and Maintenance Headquarters”. Ideally there would be a cooperative framework between the national government, Osaka prefecture and city, the IR operator and all related private corporations.
The remaining five recommendations include:
– Ensuring the transparency of the IR selection process
– Early establishment of a new organization for the MICE bid and creation
– Application of casino contributions to the tourism and cultural arts of Kansai
– Organization of stress-free customer remittance function(s)
– Generating synergy between the IR property and the Expo
The report also touches on the need to formulate a plan to utilize the entirety of the vast Yumeshima site after the Expo has ended and gaining a better understanding of the concerns of local residents regarding an IR.
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