METI to create certification system for essential services in depopulated areas in 2026
2026-08-14
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will launch a system in 2026 to certify business plans of operators that provide services essential to daily life in depopulated areas. It aims to make it easier to receive financial support and encourage labor-saving investment, while seeking to sustain businesses such as food sales and transport.
Certified Essential Services
The new system will be called Certified Essential Services and will target companies and business cooperatives that support clothing, food and housing in depopulated areas. The central and local governments will certify business plans that are expected to lead to a return to profitability or a turnaround from negative net worth within five years.
Financial support and labor-saving
The program is intended for small and micro businesses, which face relatively high credit risk. Certification of a business plan will make it easier to obtain credit guarantees and to accept investment from government-backed financial institutions. The Japan Finance Corporation will lend up to 720 million yen and offer a preferential rate 0.9% below standard lending terms.
Local talent and business continuity
The initiative will promote efficiency through IT investment so companies can continue operating with smaller staffs. It will also support expansion and diversification through acquisitions of other companies' businesses. For certified companies and cooperatives, local government employees will be positioned as key management talent. Side jobs are already allowed, but screening and coordination within municipalities often take time, and certification is expected to shorten procedures.
Eligible sectors and background
Eligible businesses will cover about 70 sectors, including supermarkets that sell food and daily necessities and gasoline stations. Requirements include having no same-industry competitor within an 800-meter radius and the prospect of securing a certain number of users.
According to METI, there were 187 municipalities nationwide where stores are at least 500 meters away and people aged 65 and older, who find it difficult to use cars, account for 40% of the population. Estimates also show that regional decline could cut real gross domestic product by as much as 76 trillion yen. According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, wages for workers in industries that support social infrastructure, such as transport and retail, are 45,000 yen a month lower than those in sales and administrative jobs. That has helped contribute to labor shortages, and the aim is also to boost productivity through labor-saving measures and secure funds for wage increases.
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