省しょうあって国くになし

expression

each ministry thinks only of its own good, but not of the good of the country

Proverb criticizing bureaucratic sectionalism: government ministries prioritize their own interests over the nation's welfare. The literal sense is 'when there are ministries, there is no country'.

• 省しょうあって国くになしと言いわれるように、縦たて割わり行ぎょう政せいの弊へい害がいが問もん題だいになっている。

  As the saying goes, 'each ministry thinks only of its own good, but not of the good of the country,' and the harmful effects of vertically divided administration have become a problem.