Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is also ruling Liberal Democratic Party president, attends a debate session with other leaders of Japan's main political parties at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo. Photo: AFP

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will outline plans on Wednesday to revive a pandemic-hit economy after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a strong majority in October's election.

A post-election boost for the softly-spoken former banker from the nuclear memorial city of Hiroshima has pushed up government support ratings to 53 percent in an opinion poll this week by public broadcaster NHK. Two weeks ago support was at 46 percent.

Kishida, who is set to lay out his plans at a news conference on Wednesday evening, has stressed that his immediate priority was to revive growth, with fiscal reform later.

Solid ratings, a planned economic stimulus that could be worth more than 30 trillion yen ($264.7 billion), coupled with high vaccination rates and few infections could help Kishida solidify his power base in the party and avoid the fate of his predecessor Yoshihide Suga who lasted only a year in the job.

On Wednesday, Kishida is set to be reelected by the parliament in whose powerful lower chamber the LDP won 261 out of 465 seats. The vote is a formality given the dominance in parliament of the party and its junior coalition partner.

In Japan, a prime minister is elected by members of parliament, and not by national election.

Kishida is also set to reappoint all but one of the ministers from the previous lineup, announced in October after he was first elected by the parliament following his victory in the LDP chief race triggered by Suga's resignation in September.

One change is in the position of the foreign minister, where Kishida is expected to replace Toshimitsu Motegi, who has moved to a key party post, with another LDP heavyweight former education minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Reuters