Nagasaki Governor Hodo Nakamura has warned that the prefecture’s Request for Proposal (RFP) could be delayed due to uncertainty over when the central government will release its IR Basic Policy.
It had been expected that the country’s Basic Policy would be drafted and published by 26 July, two years after the promulgation of the IR Development Act, but as reported by IAG earlier this week, this schedule is now up in the air due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
At the regular assembly on Tuesday, Governor Nakamura said Nagasaki’s RFP could also be delayed depending on circumstances although the prefecture is still working toward launching its IR operator recruitment at the end of July.
“The situation remains that the Basic Policy has not been drafted or published,” he said.
“I have not yet received any information that the area certification application period of January to July 2021 has changed at all, but I have also heard some reports that it may be delayed. We still do not have any accurate information, so we must begin the operator recruitment procedure while we watch to see if the [national] operator recruitment period will change.”
In response to a question on whether operator recruitment would start at the end of the month, Nakamura indicated there was a possibility of postponement.
“First, we need to understand what the central government is doing and gather information,” he said.
An official of the prefecture’s IR Promotion Department told IAG, “Considering the information coming in, [an announcement on the Basic Policy] may not be immediate, but we are preparing.
“We will be able to proceed as per the schedule even if there is an announcement on 26 July. The prefecture’s policy also includes measures against infectious diseases so once the country’s Basic Policy is announced, we will be able to confirm whether there are any discrepancies between the two.”
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