Cabinet Shake-Up Shows Abe Keen to Deliver on Economy
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s new cabinet appointments signal his determination to deliver on pledges to overhaul the pension system and bring more women into the workforce to revive Asia’s second-biggest economy.
In today’s reshuffle, Abe made Yasuhisa Shiozaki health minister, giving him a mandate to change the Government Pension Investment Fund, the world’s largest retirement fund, to let it buy more risky assets. He also appointed a record number of female ministers in a step toward his goal of having women in 30 percent of management positions by 2020. Abe is trying to lure more women to work to offset a shrinking labor force.