Consumer agency opens Sept. 1

The government said Tuesday the Consumer Affairs Agency, created in response to a spate of food-related scandals, will begin operations Sept. 1.

The Cabinet also decided that the Consumer Commission, a watchdog body to be made up of experts, will debut the same day.

The government has already announced major personnel picks, including the first agency chief. But the Democratic Party of Japan has opposed both the lineup and the agency's launch so soon after the Aug. 30 election.

If the DPJ takes power, it may reconsider the personnel and how the agency should be run.

Former Cabinet Office Vice Minister Shunichi Uchida has been tapped to head the agency, and Hiroko Sumita, a former prosecutor, has been designated the head of the commission.

As the central authority on consumer affairs, the agency will have the power to give instructions and recommendations to ministries and agencies. It will also be tasked with preparing legislation to protect consumers.

The establishment of the agency follows a rash of scandals involving defective products and falsely labeled foods that gave rise to criticism the government places more importance on the needs of manufacturers than consumers.

A law on the agency's establishment was enacted in May. The government had been preparing to launch the agency around October, but Prime Minister Taro Aso later told officials to move up the schedule.