Chapter VI Miscellaneous Provisions

In addition to the measures provided for in this Chapter, the State is to endeavor to comprehensively promote measures necessary for developing the foundation for strengthening the management of small and medium-sized enterprises, etc., such as the training of human resources responsible for strengthening the management of small and medium-sized enterprises, etc. and the appropriate protection of intellectual property held by small and medium-sized enterprises, etc.

In promoting measures to strengthen the management of small and medium-sized enterprises, etc., the State is to endeavor to give consideration to the sound development of regional economies.

①The State is to endeavor to secure funds necessary for certified projects for developing new business fields using outside highly skilled personnel.

②The State and prefectures are to endeavor to secure funds necessary for approved management innovation projects.

③The State is to endeavor to secure funds necessary for certified management capacity improvement projects.

④The State is to endeavor to secure funds necessary for certified advanced equipment introduction.

⑤The State is to endeavor to secure funds necessary for certified business continuity enhancement or certified joint business continuity enhancement.

①The competent minister is to conduct a survey to ascertain the status of developing new business fields using outside highly skilled personnel with regard to a new small and medium-sized enterprise, etc. that carries out a certified project for developing new business fields using outside highly skilled personnel.

②The administrative agency is to conduct a survey to ascertain the status of improvement of the management of a specified business operator that carries out an approved management innovation project.

③The competent minister is to conduct a survey to ascertain the status of improvement of the management of a specified business operator, etc. that carries out a certified management capacity improvement project.

④The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry is to conduct a survey to ascertain the status of business restructuring investment by a certified business restructuring investment partnership.

⑤A specified municipality is to conduct a survey to ascertain the status of advanced equipment introduction by a certified advanced equipment introduction business operator.

⑥The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry is to conduct a survey to ascertain the status of business continuity enhancement or joint business continuity enhancement with regard to a small and medium-sized enterprise that carries out certified business continuity enhancement or certified joint business continuity enhancement.

⑦The State is to provide the guidance and advice necessary for the proper implementation of certified projects for developing new business fields using outside highly skilled personnel, certified management capacity improvement projects, business restructuring investment carried out in accordance with a certified business restructuring investment plan, certified business continuity enhancement, or certified joint business continuity enhancement.

⑧The national government and prefectures are to provide the guidance and advice necessary for the appropriate implementation of an approved management innovation project.

⑨A specified municipality is to provide the guidance and advice necessary for the appropriate implementation of certified advanced equipment introduction.

①The competent minister may request a person who carries out a certified project for developing new business fields using outside highly skilled personnel to report on the implementation status of the certified plan for developing new business fields using outside highly skilled personnel.

②The administrative agency may request a person who carries out an approved management innovation project, and the competent minister may request a person who carries out a certified management capacity improvement project, to report, respectively, on the implementation status of the approved management innovation plan or the certified management capacity improvement plan.

③The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry may request a certified business restructuring investment partnership to report on the implementation status of the certified business restructuring investment plan.

④The competent minister may request a certified support body for management innovation, etc. or a certified business-field management capacity improvement promotion body, and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry may request a certified information processing support body, to report, respectively, on the implementation status of the support work for management innovation, etc. or the business-field management capacity improvement promotion work, or the information processing support work.

⑤The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry may request a specified municipality to report on the implementation status of the agreed introduction promotion basic plan.

⑥The head of a specified municipality may request a certified advanced equipment introduction business operator to report on the implementation status of the certified advanced equipment introduction plan.

⑦The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry may request a person who carries out certified business continuity enhancement or a person who carries out certified joint business continuity enhancement to report on the implementation status of the certified business continuity enhancement plan or the certified joint business continuity enhancement plan.

①The administrative agency under this Act is the prefectural governor or minister specified in each of the following items in accordance with the category of management innovation plan listed in that item.

②When a prefectural governor has given approval under Article 14, paragraph (1) or Article 15, paragraph (1), the governor is to notify the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of the management innovation plan pertaining to that approval, as provided by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

①The competent minister in Article 3, paragraphs (1), (3) and (4) is the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare with respect to the part of the basic policy that relates to improving the knowledge and skills of workers among the matters listed in Article 3, paragraph (2), item (ii), sub-items (b)(1) and (c)(4), and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry with respect to the other parts.

②The competent minister in Article 8, paragraphs (1) and (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 9, paragraph (3)), Article 9, paragraphs (1) and (2), Article 70, paragraph (1), and Article 71, paragraph (1) is the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the minister with jurisdiction over the certified project for developing new business fields using outside highly skilled personnel.

③The competent minister in Article 16 (excluding paragraph (2)) is the minister with jurisdiction over businesses belonging to the business field to which the business-field guidelines relate.

④The competent minister in Article 17, paragraph (1), Article 17, paragraph (6) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 18, paragraph (4)), Article 17, paragraph (7) and paragraph (8) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 18, paragraph (4)), Article 18, paragraphs (1) through (3), Article 19, Article 27, paragraphs (2) and (3), Article 70, paragraph (3), and Article 71, paragraph (2) (limited to those relating to the implementation status of the certified management capacity improvement plan) is the minister with jurisdiction over the certified management capacity improvement project.

⑤The competent minister in Article 31, paragraphs (1), (3) and (4), Article 31, paragraphs (1) and (3) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 33, paragraph (2), Articles 34 through 36, and Article 71, paragraph (4) (limited to those relating to the implementation status of the support work for management innovation, etc.) is the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Prime Minister.

⑥The competent minister in Article 39, paragraphs (1), (3) and (4), Article 31, paragraphs (1) and (3) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 33, paragraph (2), as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 42, Articles 34 and 36 as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 42, Article 35 as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 42 with necessary terms replaced, and Article 71, paragraph (4) (limited to those relating to the implementation status of the business-field management capacity improvement promotion work) is the minister with jurisdiction over the business relating to the business-field management capacity improvement promotion work.

⑦The order of the competent ministry in the proviso to Article 3, paragraph (3) is to be an order issued jointly by the competent ministers prescribed in paragraph (1).

⑧The order of the competent ministry in Article 8, paragraph (1), Article 9, paragraph (1) and Article 13 is to be an order issued jointly by the competent ministers prescribed in paragraph (2).

⑨The order of the competent ministry in the proviso to Article 16, paragraph (4) is to be an order issued jointly by the competent ministers prescribed in paragraph (3).

⑩The order of the competent ministry in Article 2, paragraph (10), item (viii), Article 17, paragraph (1), Article 18, paragraph (1) and Article 27, paragraph (3) is to be an order issued jointly by the competent ministers prescribed in paragraph (4).

⑪The order of the competent ministry in Article 31, paragraphs (1), (3) and (4), Article 32, item (iii), Article 31, paragraphs (1) and (3) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 33, paragraph (2) together with Article 32, item (iii) as so applied, and Article 34 is to be an order issued jointly by the competent ministers prescribed in paragraph (5).

⑫The order of the competent ministry in Article 39, paragraphs (1), (3) and (4), Article 32, item (iii) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 42 with necessary terms replaced, Article 31, paragraphs (1) and (3) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 33, paragraph (2), as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 42, together with Article 32, item (iii) as so applied, and Article 34 as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 42 is to be an order issued jointly by the competent ministers prescribed in paragraph (6).

⑬The Prime Minister delegates the authority under this Act (limited to authority under the jurisdiction of the Financial Services Agency, excluding the authority specified by Cabinet Order) to the Commissioner of the Financial Services Agency.

⑭The Prime Minister delegates the authority under this Act (limited to authority under the jurisdiction of the Children and Families Agency, excluding the authority specified by Cabinet Order) to the Commissioner of the Children and Families Agency.

Part of the administrative functions that belong to the authority of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry prescribed in this Act may be performed by prefectural governors, as provided by Cabinet Order.

①The authority of the administrative agency (excluding the governor of a prefecture), the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and the competent ministers under this Act may be exercised by the heads of regional branch bureaus, as provided by Cabinet Order.

②The Commissioner of the Financial Services Agency may delegate part of the authority delegated under Article 73, paragraph (13) to the Director-General of a Local Finance Bureau or the Director-General of a Local Finance Branch Bureau, as provided by Cabinet Order.

③The Commissioner of the Children and Families Agency may delegate part of the authority delegated under Article 73, paragraph (14) to the Director-General of a Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare or the Director-General of a Regional Branch Bureau of Health and Welfare, as provided by Cabinet Order.