Survey Released: 45.2% Increase in Workload, 99.1% Not Implementing Cashless Integration / Free Release of 'Survey on the Reality of Responding to the Revised Travel Expense Act' Report from 321 Local Governments Nationwide ~ Visualizing the Current State and Destination of Local Government DX ~

The General Incorporated Association for Local Government DX Promotion (Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter "GDX") has compiled and released a report on the results of a "Survey on the Status of Response to the Travel Expense Act and Operational Challenges in Local Governments" conducted nationwide, in conjunction with the special issue of the Local Government DX Guide, "The Reality of the Revised Travel Expense Act," published in March 2026. The report is available for free distribution starting today.

This survey compiled responses from travel expense personnel in 321 local governments, quantitatively clarifying the actual status of their response to the revised Travel Expense Act, which came into effect in April 2025, as well as the current state and priority issues of DX in local government internal administrative affairs.

■ Background of the Survey

The revision of the Travel Expense Act (Act on Travel Expenses for National Public Officers, etc.), which came into effect in April 2025, is a fundamental revision, the first in 75 years since the law was enacted in 1950.
It brought about a major change in the travel expense system for public officials, such as the actual cost reimbursement of accommodation expenses (with a cap) and the abolition of daily allowances. Regarding travel expenses for local public officials, each local government independently decides whether to comply with or refer to the same law and then stipulates travel expense rules through ordinances, etc.

With the shift to actual cost reimbursement, new review tasks such as checking receipts, matching amounts, and checking caps have arisen, raising concerns about increased workload and the risk of human error at the operational level.

To quantitatively grasp this situation, our association conducted a nationwide survey targeting local governments, coinciding with the publication of the special issue of the Local Government DX Guide, "The Reality of the Revised Travel Expense Act."

■ Survey Results Summary

The main findings regarding local governments' response to the revised Travel Expense Act, as revealed by this survey, are as follows:

◯ Progress of Ordinance Revision / 63.9% have started (32.4% implemented + 31.5% in progress. Meanwhile, 28.0% are "undecided on timing")

◯ Policy on Accommodation Expense Management / 57.3% have transitioned to full actual cost reimbursement (14.0% continue fixed amount payment, 9.7% use both actual and fixed amount)

◯ Status of Workload / 45.2% experienced an increase in workload (27.1% slightly increased + 18.1% significantly increased)

◯ Quantitative Grasp of Workload / Only 3.1% have quantitatively grasped it (63.6% answered "don't know")

◯ Current State of Operational Infrastructure / 85.7% rely on traditional infrastructure (Excel/paper 44.9% + partial functions of financial accounting systems 40.8%. Dedicated travel expense SaaS is only 1.6%)

◯ Cashless Integration / 99.1% are unable to implement automatic integration (62.6% have never considered it, 36.4% handle it manually)

○ Priority Issues for DX Promotion / 53.6% prioritize "audit-less (automation of checking tasks)" (followed by paperless 19.6%, governance strengthening 18.4%)

■ What the Survey Results Indicate – The 'Current State' and 'Destination' of Local Government DX

This survey revealed a structural issue: "The system has moved, but the operational infrastructure has not caught up."

While approximately 60% of local governments have started revising ordinances and institutional responses are steadily progressing, the operational infrastructure supporting them remains traditional. The new tasks accompanying actual cost reimbursement, such as receipt matching, amount verification, and cap checking, are being added to Excel and paper-based operations, which is the main cause of the increased workload.

At the same time, this survey also clearly indicates the "destination of local government DX." With 53.6% citing "audit-less" as the top priority, 57.9% recognizing "dealing with application errors," and 52.6% recognizing "recalculating routes and fares" as operational challenges, "what should be digitized" is extremely clear at the operational level.

From an era of "not knowing what to do with DX" to a stage of "what needs to be done is visible, now it's execution" – this survey shows that the revised Travel Expense Act has become a mirror reflecting both the "current state" and "destination" of DX in local government internal administrative affairs.

■ Report Overview

Name: Survey on the Status of Response to the Revised Travel Expense Act and Operational Challenges in Local Governments: Aggregation and Analysis Report

Issued by: General Incorporated Association for Local Government DX Promotion

Survey Period: March 9 (Mon) - March 31 (Tue), 2026

Target: Local governments nationwide (travel expense management departments)

Survey Method: Web questionnaire format (invitation sent by mail to relevant departments)

Number of Responses: 321 local governments

Pages: 22 pages (PDF)

Price: Free

Request the survey report here

*If the form does not open, please contact us by email: travel@gdx.or.jp

*Application deadline: May 29 (Fri), 2026

■ Related Publication: Local Government DX Guide Special Issue 'The Reality of the Revised Travel Expense Act'

The request form and response sheet for this survey were sent to local governments nationwide bundled with the special issue of the Local Government DX Guide, "The Reality of the Revised Travel Expense Act," published by our association in March 2026.

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