JCP proposes recompilation of 2002 draft national budget to defend people's living conditions

The Japanese Communist Party on February 12 demanded that the draft national budget for fiscal 2002 be recompiled.

The budget for fiscal 2002 starting in April is under discussion in parliament.

The main thrust of the JCP proposal is to redirect the government economic policy to one of improving people's living and business conditions by halting the Koizumi Cabinet's "structural reform" which supports major banks and companies and imposes increased financial burdens on the people.

At the news conference in the Diet building, Fudesaka Hideyo, JCP acting secretariat head, said that Japan's economy is going into a deflationary spiral in which national income, personal consumption, and production are all falling, and prices are going down. The JCP proposal shows how to get out of such a critical condition, he said.

Fudesaka said that the cause of the present critical condition is that the Koizumi "reform" is following the unsuccessful policies of Liberal Democratic Party governments to inject public money into failing banks and wastefully spend money on public works projects.

As measures for employment promotion, the JCP proposes that corporate restructuring be controlled, overtime work without pay be ended, and jobs be created in public services such as welfare, education, and disaster prevention.

The JCP calls for new social security service systems which can be extended for a long period of time, funded by insurance premiums collected by the people according to their financial abilities.

To help small- and medium-sized companies maintain their businesses under the economic recession, the JCP demands that the use of taxpayers money for banks be stopped and funds be supplied to smaller industries and companies which need them.

The JCP says that wasteful expenditure for public works projects should be canceled and military expenses be drastically cut. It also calls for a shift in public works projects from one of serving the interests of general contractor construction companies to one of helping the people improve their living conditions. (end)