The Japanese government says it remains “undecided” on the timing of both the decision and publication of its Basic Policy on IRs.
Clarifying its current position in response to a question from House of Representatives member Kazuma Nakatani at a regular cabinet meeting on Friday, the government confirmed there had been little progress on the Basic Policy – originally planned to be released in January 2020 before twice being postponed. It was most recently scheduled for July before the COVID-19 pandemic ensured IRs were placed on the backburner.
At Friday’s meeting, the government reiterated the process for issuing up to three licenses to develop and operate IRs in Japan, starting with the announcement of a new Basic Policy draft by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
After soliciting public comments, the Basic Policy itself will be finalized – including the period for local governments and their operator partners to apply for certification of an IR development plan.
The application period for area certification is currently set to take place between January and July 2021, but operators have expressed concern that there is not enough time given the absence of a Basic Policy. COVID-19 has also made it difficult for candidate operators to progress their own planning due to international travel restrictions.
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