58 road builders gave LDP 650 million yen in donation in 3 years

   Akahata has learned that the Japan Road Contractors Association, a road builders’ industry organization consisting of 58 contractors calling for continuation of the budget earmarked for road construction, gave the Liberal Democratic Party about 650 million yen in political donations for three years since 2004.

   Former bureaucrats of the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry and other government agencies hold 13 out of 34 executive posts in the association.

   Since its founding in 1945, the association has been lobbying for the promotion of road construction.

   Highly valuing the government medium-term road construction plan to use 59 trillion yen in the next 10 years, the association is calling for continuation of the current taxation system to secure resources for road construction.

   This is a collusive relationship among politicians, bureaucrats, and businesses in an attempt to benefit from unnecessary road construction projects.
- Akahata, February 25, 2007