On February 25, at a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, a committee member from the Komeito Party, Mr. Higuchi, raised questions on the government’s will to establish a Comprehensive Exchange by merging Japan Exchange Group and Tokyo Commodity Exchange.
In response, three of the Ministers concerned made the following comments. Mr. Aso, Minister in charge of financial affairs (FSA), said that “We wish to continue to work proactively [towards establishing the Comprehensive Exchange]”, while Mr. Hayashi, Minister for agriculture (MAFF), stated that “We are aiming for an implementation as early as possible”, asserting that the government’s basic intentions haven’t change. On the other hand, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) pointed out that the listing of new contracts, including electricity and LNG futures, is a first priority matter.