 JCP opposes plan to impose further burdens on citizens At the February 21 House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting, Japanese Communist Party representative Kokuta Keiji criticized the bill to revise the nursing care system for forcing people to pay more while cutting their benefits. If the bill is enacted, elderly people at nursing homes will have to pay for their beds and meals. Asked by Kokuta, Welfare Minister Otsuji Hidehisa admitted that the proposed revision will impose a burden of 300 billion yen on users. Kokuta pointed out that this amounts to 400,000 yen per person, and insisted that the system must be improved so that it will support the people's living conditions. Kokuta also pointed out that the people's share of payments of medical and nursing costs will be increased in line with the abolition of the fixed-rate tax cuts in income and residential taxes. Kyoto City found that a married couple living in the city with a joint income of 1.63 million yen will have to shoulder a 390,000 yen instead of current 165,000 yen tax if the fixed-rate tax cuts are abolished. (end) |