JBF urges its members to resume political donations

Akahata of December 24 reported that the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren or JBF) on December 16 requested all its member companies to resume donations to political parties. The December 24 letter of request, signed by Okuda Hiroshi, JBF chairman, was sent even to companies that have refrained from making political donations because they have paid no dividend.

The JBF in 1993 stopped arranging corporate donations to political parties due to mounting public criticism of corporate donations causing political corruption. That year, the government began to use tax money to subsidize political parties.

Okuda's letter, however, stated that making political donations is part of "corporate social responsibility" and that the JBF is to collect 4 billion yen in donations from its members.

In January 2003, the JBF published new guidelines for political donations to be made to the Liberal Democratic, Democratic, and Komei parties, stating that it will give these parties money according to its ratings regarding how responsive they are to the JBF's needs and proposals.

Akahata criticized this JBF policy and its practice as an attempt to control politics by money power. (end)