The Japanese government has decided to allocate more than 1.6 trillion yen, or about $10 billion, to its next five-year plan to rebuild areas devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan.

That’s more than the amount in the current five-year plan that runs through fiscal 2025.

Top government officials met Friday to discuss key issues ahead of developing the basic reconstruction plan for the five years starting in fiscal 2026.

Authorities agreed to promote the return of people who fled their hometowns following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

They said communities must be restored and a suitable living environment must be provided, both in terms of infrastructure and services.

A recently established ministerial committee will discuss specific steps to follow to dispose of soil removed during decontamination work.

Officials also agreed to promote the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant and address reputational damage caused by the release of treated and diluted water. They also decided to help attract industries to affected regions to create jobs.

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru called the next five years starting in fiscal 2026 an extremely important period for reconstruction. He said that for reconstruction measures to succeed, efforts must be redoubled, and he requested the cooperation of every minister to this end.