JCP Koike debunks tricks in the pension bill

Japanese Communist Party member Koike Akira at an Upper House Committee meeting on May 18 revealed that the government had lied to the public about its pension bill.

The government has said that the National Pension insurance premiums ceiling will be fixed and that the amount of benefits under the government-managed pension plan for corporate employees will not be under 50-percent of the average income for the present workers.

ﾒThatﾕs a blatant lie,ﾓ Koike said.

The prime minister and the welfare minister were defiant by stating, ﾒIt's a matter of course that the amount of pension premiums will increase on a sliding scale." They showed no remorse for their failure to explain this to the people.

Koike demanded that the present pension bill be scrapped.

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro said, "Pension benefits at 65 will certainly be at least 50-percent of the present workersﾕ average income, but when one turns eighty, one wonﾕt receive the same amount."

Koike said, "How outrageous it is for you to argue that the longer one lives, the less one receives! What's more, nothing is mentioned in the bill about it."

He pointed out that the premiums will certainly go up on a sliding scale, but contrary to the government explanation, the monthly premiums will increase to more than 25,000 yen after ten years instead of being fixed at 16,900 yen.

Koike showed a panel illustrating that more than 50 percent of the average income of salaried workers is only guaranteed for the first year of a person receiving benefits at 65. ﾒAfter that, the benefits will continue to decline,ﾓ he added. (end)