JCP releases counterproposal to Koizumi's reform of government corporations

The Japanese Communist Party has published a counterproposal to the prime minister's plan for reform of government corporations that he has initiated to speed up privatization, one of the major campaign slogans of his cabinet for the coming Upper House election.

At a press conference on July 18, JCP Policy Commission Head Fudesaka Hideyo said that the cabinet plan fails to look into LDP policies, which have served in the best interests of major private enterprises.

The first thing is for the government to put an end to the squandering of tax money by institutions of this kind and end the cozy relations between politics, bureaucracy, and large corporations, said Fudeasaka.

The JCP proposal calls for improvement of such public corporations for providing of scholarships; management of public housing; and loans for housing and small-and medium-sized enterprises. (end)