”To manage a massive amount of funds safely and efficiently, it is vital to build an effective organization and system suited to carrying out the task.
A council of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has proposed that the current ban on direct stock investment by the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) remain in place, at least for the time being.
The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito has supported the proposal. The government has decided not to include direct stock investment by the GPIF in a bill related to pension reforms, which it plans to submit to the current Diet.
This was a reasonable conclusion, as it is not only doubtful if the GPIF, under the current structure and human resources, would be able to make appropriate stock investment decisions but also difficult to ensure impartiality and transparency in such investments…………”