Home Ministry to Develop Community Currency Model System

Japan's Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (MPHPT) will develop a community currency model system and start verification experiments in mid-November, 2004, in three municipalities: Ichikawa City in Chiba Prefecture, Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture, and Oguni Town in Kumamoto Prefecture. This initiative is one of the MPHPT's measures to support local community revitalization.

Community currencies are expected to invigorate community-based action and local economies. Research by the MPHPT has shown that information technology and the active participation of local governments are indispensable in introducing and diffusing community currencies. Based on these findings, the MPHPT aims to develop an effective and reliable model system that puts to use the existing Basic Resident Register Card system and official authentication services.

The three municipalities were officially declared as model locations for testing this system in June this year. Following a period of preparation for developing the system and making other arrangements, these municipalities will implement the two-month experimental verification process starting in mid-November. The results will be summarized and examined in February, 2005, and the completed systems will be distributed free of charge to any local governments that request them starting in April, 2005.




Posted: 2004/10/27 02:23:10 PM
Japanese version