Japan drafts Kumamoto quake aid package, plans travel discounts

TOKYO – The Japanese government will compile an aid package for quake-hit south-western Japan by the end of August, providing travel discounts for tourists visiting the affected areas along with financial aid for residents and businesses, sources close to the matter said on Aug 19.The draft package also includes subsidies to restore quake-damaged railway infrastructure and aid to repair wells that many households in hard-hit Kumamoto Prefecture rely on for drinking water.To support the local tourism industry, which saw a wave of cancellations particularly in Kumamoto, the government will cover part of lodging and other travel costs for tourists visiting Kumamoto and other prefectures on the south-western main island of Kyushu, according to the draft plan.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will determine details including eligible areas, discount rates and the duration of the program.Similar programmes were offered to support reconstruction following the major quakes in Kumamoto in 2016 and in the central Japan prefecture of Ishikawa in 2024.While details of assistance for businesses have yet to be determined, the government is considering additional measures for semiconductor-related companies operating in Kumamoto, such as purchasing their outstanding debt to support their recovery.Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier in August that her government will designate the July 28 quake as a “disaster of extreme severity”, enabling affected local governments to receive higher subsidies for reconstruction work. She also pledged to tap over 20 billion yen (S$160 million) in reserve funds.For farmers, fishermen and forestry workers, the government would subsidise repairs to facilities, partially cover the cost of supplies and shoulder part of the interest payments on new loans for five years, according to the draft plan. KYODO NEWS