A joint subcommittee was held on November 25 by Central Construction Council and Social Infrastructure Council, advisory bodies for Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, discussing measures against future labor shortage in the construction industry. The committee agreed to amend the Public Construction Quality Control Act together with the Act on Regulation of Public Procurement and the Construction Business Act. It also proposed to prevent damping by mandatory submission of bid breakdowns and the work ledgers. As a whole, the presentation by the committee included approaches to problems such as worker shortage, excessive price competition, capacity shortage of employers, and large burden of administrative works for both employers and contractors.

Revision of the Public Construction Quality Control Act, which LDP, the government party aims to submit to the Diet during the regular session starting January 2014, will not include only measures to ensure the quality of works but long-term solutions to short hands. Application of various bidding methods are to be targeted. MLIT hopes to enhance an effect of its amendment by simultaneous enactment of the other two laws, addressing labor shortage, which is considered one of the most serious issues in the industry. (2013/11/26)