Government and ruling parties agree to continue wasteful expressway construction

The government and the ruling parties, which have reviewed the construction of wasteful expressways and discussed the privatization of four highway public corporations, on December 22 finally agreed on a framework that will construct more expressways.

The construction debt will have to be shouldered by the people for many years to come.

As a result, the latest decision will not affect the plan to build a 9,342-km network of national expressways. The privatization scheme is intended to use more tax money to build more highways.

In a published statement on the same day, Japanese Communist Party Acting Policy Commission Chair Sasaki Kensho criticized the government decision as not deserving to be called a "reform". He said as follows:

"There is almost no possibility of repaying the debts of 40 trillion yen, and the people will become the last bearer of the huge debts. What is worse, the collusion between politicians and road constructors will go on unchecked.

"The JCP will make efforts to get the current road construction plans reviewed and frozen, make systematic repayment of accumulated debts, and probe into collusion between politicians and road constructors." (end)