JCP Fuwa: public works projects must benefit people's living conditions

If the government's emphasis shifts from wasteful large development projects to building more schools, hospitals, and houses, small- and medium-sized companies will be able to receive more public works orders, said Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo at a speech assembly in Okayama City on October 21.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's official statistics cited by Fuwa, shows that a total of 1.6 trillion yen had been paid to construction companies for the development of the Tokyo Waterfront City from 1988 to 2002. However, smaller companies had received orders worth only 131 billion yen, 8.2 percent of the total amount.

In contrast, 80.3 percent of the total spending of the Tokyo metropolitan government for constructing welfare and education facilities and housing units had been provided for smaller companies during the same period.

Explaining the JCP proposal for cutting half of the government spending for public works projects, Fuwa stated the necessity to switch from wasteful large development to public works projects that help improve people's living conditions. The government should halve the government expenditure on public works and instead increase projects useful for improving people's livelihoods. If implemented, 80 percent of those projects will be contracted to local, smaller companies. (end)