Ruling party Dietmembers sell fundraiser tickets to gas station operators’ association

   Akahata learned that Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Amari Akira and other ruling party members of the Diet sold fundraiser tickets to the business associations of gas station operators lobbying Dietmembers for the Anti-monopoly Law to be revised.

   The political action group consisting of two business associations representing more than 20,000 service stations throughout the country bought these fundraiser tickets.

   The tickets have been promoted by lawmakers who have close connections with the petroleum industry, including former bureaucrats at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (the present Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and leading members of the “Dietmembers’ group concerned for gas stations” that consists of some Liberal Democratic Party members.

   The political fund reports show that in 2006, 22 Liberal Democratic and Komei party members of the Diet sold tickets worth 5.57 million yen, including 520,000 yen for Amari’s 6 fundraisers and 600,000 yen for former Senior Vice Minister of Economy and Industry Watanabe Hiromichi. In addition, the LDP’s fund managing organization asked the service station operators’ political action group to donate one million yen.

   The political action group is campaigning for a surcharge to be imposed on gasoline sales at unfairly low prices to be included in a revised Anti-monopoly Law which is expected to be introduced in the current session of the Diet by the Fair Trade Commission.

   A bulletin of the industrial group last November reported that a rally was held by the business groups at the LDP head office with 160 executive members of the groups’ associations throughout the country attending along with 100 LDP members of the Diet. A resolution including a call for the introduction of a surcharge on sales at unfairly low prices was adopted.
- Akahata, January 22, 2008