Japan gives Covid-19 relief work to Deloitte

The Japanese government signed a contract with a Deloitte-linked consulting group to distribute coronavirus relief payouts.

The announcement comes after people complained about a previous deal involving advertising giant Dentsu.

Lawmakers and other critics were concerned about the way taxpayers’ money was being spent under the previous subcontracting scheme.

Government officials said the selection process for Service Design and Dentsu was fair and legitimate.

The contract awarded to Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory on Friday is worth £308m, according to a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) document seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The Deloitte contract is smaller as fewer businesses would be eligible for payouts, reported Reuters.

Sachiyo Kikuchi, spokeswoman at Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory, said Deloitte planned to work with partner companies to handle the project.