Mr. Nicholas Speeks

Happy New Year to Everyone!
I hope you have been able to make a good start of the new year.

Sturdily getting back from the Great East Japan Earthquake of two years ago, Japan’s economy is taking steady steps from recovery to reconstruction. Japan suffered from an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude, and further from the nuclear accident, but the people in this country are overcoming the situation with patience and solidarity, clearly showing their excellent ability to cope with crucial moments, for which I would like to pay my deepest respect.

At the same time, due to the impacts of the accident at the nuclear power plant, there are still so many people who are forced to live away from their home, in evacuation shelters or the like, and faced with a challenge of tackling long-term measures. Again, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences and offer words of encouragement.

Also, at the end of last year, a general election of the House of Representatives was held, which resulted in a change of government. The new administration is expected to promptly implement comprehensive economic policies in an attempt to create an energetic society in which people can live without fear at the earliest timing possible, not to mention boosting the efforts for disaster reconstruction.

Now, looking at the imported car market of 2012, following the year before, results were good, thanks to such factors as the aggressive launches by our members of new models with superior environmental performances and the introductions of new generation vehicle technologies led by newly-developed safety features.

While further promoting such highly-motivated approaches, our member companies will continue broadly offering distinctive and diversified brands, born and grown in cultures and histories of overseas, equipped with innovative technologies for extra safety and environmental protection, contributing to the stimulation of Japan’s motor vehicle market and growth of the country’s economy as a whole through sound development of the imported car market.

For that end also, we will be coordinating and cooperating with the ministries concerned for the facilitation of the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA) and the globalization of safety/environment regulations, standards/certification and taxation.

As to our motorcycle services, which have entered the fourth year of operation, we will further upgrade our efforts to meet the needs of the member companies and their customers, including the establishment of the PHP certification scheme.

I would like to ask you for your continued understanding and support, and I sincerely hope that 2013 will be a great year for all of you.