Foreword (December 2024, Health and Welfare Policy Forum)

Abstract

The amendments made in 2013 to the Framework Act on Social Security stipulate that any central government administrative agency or local government intending to implement a new social security project or modify an existing program must consult beforehand with the Minister of Health and Welfare. The prior-consultation system extends beyond social security projects. For example, a local or central government agency planning a project to support small- and medium-sized businesses must first consult with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. In addition, digitalization projects are subject to prior consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. While local governments are accorded autonomy by the constitution, they must, as long as their local affairs are subject to compliance with the corresponding Acts, consult with the Ministry of Health and Welfare when implementing a new social security project or making changes to an ongoing program, as Article 26 of the Framework Act provides. To be sure, prior consultation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare should be conducted without compromising local autonomy. The social security prior-consultation system has been criticized for infringing upon local autonomy, but there is also a view that it has, through its processes of policy consultation and information sharing, contributed to the systematic design of social security projects and enhanced the complementarity between programs undertaken by central government agencies and those by local governments. This December issue of the Health and Welfare Forum focuses on the social security prior-consultation system. The thematic articles herein explore the roles of the system and the rules and standards by which it has been operating. Based on their discussion of the system’s policy outcomes, the authors of the articles present suggestions for improving the system. Achieving a perfect institutional mechanism is unlikely, but what’s important is that with scrutiny and effort, we identify the flaws, remove them, and make the system better over time. We hope that this month’s issue of the Health and Welfare Forum will provide readers with an occasion to revisit the social security prior-consultation system and to think about what it would take to improve it.