Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday that he will reshuffle his Cabinet and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership as early as Wednesday, without elaborating on the details of the lineup.
At a press conference after the end of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, Kishida pledged that his government will put "the top priority" on mapping out "drastic economic measures" and "swiftly implementing" them under the new administration.
Kishida, meanwhile, was mum about when the government will call an extraordinary parliamentary session, expected to be convened in the fall, and whether he is considering dissolving the House of Representatives for a snap election in the near future.
The upcoming reshuffle is meant to freshen up the image of the Kishida administration as approval ratings for his Cabinet have remained sluggish due in part to problems related to the My Number national identification system, political experts said.
Regarding the envisioned economic package aimed at addressing price hikes, Kishida said, "I want to carry out a bold plan with sufficient budget backing in order to protect people's livelihoods" by creating "wage increases and investment expansion."
In Japan, the economy has shown few signs of getting on a sustainable growth track against a backdrop of an upturn in global energy and food prices, apparently triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Related coverage:
FOCUS: Japan PM Kishida may seek conservative support by reshuffling Cabinet
Japan PM secures understanding on Fukushima water at G-20 summit
Japan PM Kishida plans to reshuffle Cabinet on Sept. 13
