金融機関要請、関係省庁と調整　西村氏「混乱」陳謝

　西村康稔経済再生担当相は１３日の記者会見で、酒類提供停止に応じない飲食店への働き掛けを金融機関に求める方針を一時示したことに関し、金融庁、経済産業省、財務省と事前に調整していたことを明らかにした。西村氏は「私の発言で混乱を招き、飲食店に不安を与えた。趣旨を十分伝え切れず反省している」と陳謝した。
　西村氏はまた、東京都への緊急事態宣言発令を決めるに当たり、菅義偉首相と関係閣僚も金融機関への働き掛けについて聞いていたと説明した。「首相官邸で関係閣僚の打ち合わせを行っている。事務方から感染状況などの説明を受ける中で金融機関や卸売業者への働き掛けにも触れられた」と述べた。（2021/07/13-13:16）

Japanese economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura apologized Tuesday for creating confusion following his earlier idea to share information with banks on eateries defying requests not to serve alcohol.
   The idea of sharing such information so that banks can encourage restaurants to comply with the requests, was suggested by Nishimura on Thursday, as a way of preventing novel coronavirus infections. However, after the minister received complaints from ruling and opposition parties that the idea could lead to abuse of power by financial institutions, he withdrew his related remark the next day, stressing that the government will not encourage banks to restrict lending to noncompliant businesses.
   "My remark created confusion and caused anxiety to restaurants," Nishimura, who is in charge of the government's coronavirus response, told a press conference Tuesday. "I regret not fully explaining the purpose (of the idea)."
   Nishimura explained that he had made prior adjustments on the idea with the Financial Services Agency, the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
   He also said that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and related cabinet ministers had heard about this idea when deciding to put Tokyo under the state of emergency over the coronavirus.