The Kyushu Economic Federation, or Kyukeiren, issued its first-ever mid-term action plan on June 2. The plan, which runs from this fiscal year until fiscal 2020, outlines key policies for seven regional industries including tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture. Aiming to promote the self-directed, sustainable development of Kyushu as a single economic unit, the plan calls for improvements to infrastructure, including airports and highways, increased exchange with Asia, measures to combat population decline, measures to counter environmental/energy issues, the adoption of a regional state system to promote the decentralization of government, and stepped up training efforts. As for agricultural, forestry and fisheries exports, Kyukeiren aims to double agricultural exports over 2012 figures to ¥15 billion, boost forestry exports 2.1 times to ¥400 million and increase fisheries exports 2.9 times to ¥70 billion. It also aims to boost the amount of funding that Kyushu-based companies receive from the Cool Japan Fund, a public-private fund to support overseas expansion efforts of Japanese companies, to ¥15 million. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 6/3
