TOKYO - Japanese Cabinet on Tuesday decided to officially launch a new nuclear regulatory commission on September 19, a year and a half after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The new unclear regulator will replace the current Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency supervised by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The new watchdog will be more independent from the government than the old agency, which has been widely criticized after the nuclear accident on March 2011.

The Nuclear Crisis Minister Goshi Hosono said he hoped the commission could win public understanding through hard working.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will appoint five people as members of the nuclear regulatory commission after the launch.