Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi has postponed announcement of the city’s implementation policy, which was to define criteria for an IR in Yokohama, due to delays to the central government’s timeline. The announcement had previously been planned for this month.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Hayashi said she remains steadfast in her policy to pursue an IR bid but did not know when there will be new developments to announce.
In April, Yokohama postponed the announcement from June to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said, “At this time we can’t make a judgment” on the effects of further delays on the future schedule.
The period for local governments to apply to the central government for an IR bid is set to run from January to July 2021, but the Basic Policy that sets out the operator selection criteria – and was supposed to be announced in January of this year – is yet to materialize.
Mayor Hayashi indicated, “Under the current circumstances, the city cannot make this announcement during the month of August.
“I want to keep an eye on [the central government’s actions],” she added.