September 3, 2025
Japan Fair Trade Commission
FY 2026 Estimate Request
On August 29, the JFTC made a budget request for FY 2026 and made it public. The total amount for the request was 13,501 million yen, which decreased 2,344 million yen from the previous year’s initial budget.
While the request appears lower in comparison, this reduction is mainly attributable to one-time costs related to the relocation of the JFTC’s headquarters incurred in this fiscal year. Excluding this special factor, the requested budget reflects an effective increase of 732 million yen from the previous year.
The following are the main contents of the budget request.
As for the first item, “Strict and effective implementation of the Antimonopoly Act,” we requested 587 million yen for expenses necessary to take prompt and effective measures in the digital sector, etc., strictly handle violations such as cartels and bid-rigging, and appropriately respond to global M&A reviews, etc.
As for the second item, “Promoting initiatives to ensure fair transactions,” we requested 1.624 billion yen for expenses necessary to strictly address and prevent the abuse of superior bargaining position, such as maintaining transaction prices without negotiation despite increases in labor and other costs, as well as violations of the Fair Transactions Act, formerly known as the Subcontract Act.” It also includes the cost of promoting fair transactions for freelancers and other workers.
As for the third item, “Improving the competitive environment,” we requested 329 million yen for expenses necessary to conduct market studies in various sectors such as the digital market, to strengthen advocacy including making recommendations to improve trade practices, and to effectively enforce the Mobile Software Competition Act.
Next, regarding the organization and the number of officials, measures including strengthening the enforcement framework of the Fair Transactions Act are set forth in the government’s “Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform,” and we made requests based on these items, etc.
First, as part of promoting initiatives to ensure fair transactions through strict enforcement of the Fair Transactions Act, the JFTC requested the establishment of one new position, Director for Ensuring Fair Transactions, at the JFTC headquarters. In addition, we requested to restructure three existing director-level positions and create one new position, thereby establishing a system with four Senior Transaction Inspectors.
Although this is not a part of the organizational structure, the JFTC also requested the establishment of one new director-level position, Director for Fair Transactions Management, at each of the Chubu Office, the Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku Office, and the Kyushu Office, for a total of three new positions. The titles of the new positions mentioned above are tentative.
With regard to personnel related to these initiatives for ensuring fair transactions, we requested an increase of 59 officials. To improve the competitive environment in the digital sector and other areas, we also requested the establishment of a new Senior Planning Officer at the General Affairs Division of the Economic Affairs Bureau, responsible for the digital market, along with four additional officials. Furthermore, to strengthen the foundation for implementing competition policy, we requested an increase of four officials.
This concludes the summary of the JFTC’s budgetary request for FY 2026.
（Tentative translation）
