Prime Minister-elect Naoto Kan has tapped Koichiro Gemba to be state minister in charge of civil service reform and the declining birthrate, Democratic Party of Japan sources said Monday.
Gemba, the DPJ's Policy Research Committee chief, will also assume the posts of state minister for gender equality and for "new concept of public service," a position that was established by outgoing Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
Eleven ministers, including Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, will probably retain their posts, the sources said.
Satoshi Arai, special adviser to the prime minister under Hatoyama, who has already been unofficially selected to serve as national policy minister, will also shoulder the posts of consumer affairs minister and economic and fiscal policy minister, the sources said.
Kan will announce his cabinet Tuesday and launch his administration the same day in a coalition with the People's New Party. On Monday morning, Kan, Arai and Yoshito Sengoku, who is expected to be the new chief cabinet secretary, met at a Tokyo hotel to finalize the party's new executive leadership and the cabinet lineup, the sources said.
House of Councillors member Renho likely will serve as state minister for government revitalization. Renho has become popular nationally through the screenings held by the Government Revitalization Unit to eliminate and reduce wasteful government spending.
