JCP: Supplementary budget won't defend livelihoods

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP: Supplementary budget won't defend livelihoods

The Japanese Communist Party in the Diet pointed out that the government proposal for a supplementary budget for fiscal 2009 is nothing but a one-off funding for political pork-barreling, and demanded measures to directly defend people's living standards.

At the House of Representatives Plenary Session on April 28, JCP representative Sasaki Kensho stated that the 15 trillion-yen budget proposal is unsound.

He said that the plan of one-time payments of benefits to households with children aged 3-5 will not be effective and that these handouts will be followed by another consumption tax increase.

Sasaki also criticized the government for continuing to give large corporations tax breaks and even introducing new systems to reduce their tax burdens while giving small-and medium-sized enterprises meager relief measures.

Sasaki said that Japan can change its economic policy from one of heavily depending on exports to one that depends on domestic demand only when the national budget supports the country's economic base, namely the public in general and small businesses.

As for revenue resources, Sasaki called for an end to excessively favorable tax treatments to large corporations, an immediate end to the so-called "sympathy budget" for funding the stationing of the U.S. forces in Japan, and a review of wasteful large-scale development projects.

Prime Minister Aso Taro could not explain why many of the handouts are just one-time measures. He just said that the consumption tax should be increased "to make the national finance sounder and to fund social services."

- Akahata, April 29, 2009