LDP and Komei call for law to establish larger administrative units as key policy

Japan Press Weekly

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

LDP and Komei call for law to establish larger administrative units as key policy

"Devolution" is a buzzword nowadays for the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties in their election platforms for the House of Representatives general election to propose replacing the present 47 prefectures with 10 regional administrative units (do/shu). The LDP calls for a basic law to establish the do/shu system to be enacted as early as possible so that the new system can be introduced 6 or 8 years after the legislation is passed. The Komei Party calls for the "introduction of a do/shu system based on regional administrative sovereignty."

The Democratic Party of Japan's current election platform does not call for a "do-shu" system, but its "2009 Policies" states that the role of the state should be curtailed and calls for introducing a do/shu system. Nagatsuma Akira, the acting chair of the DPJ policy research council, made it clear that the DPJ will promote the current toward the introduction of a do/shu system."

National government will have no obligation to run the nation's welfare and education

Advocates of the do/shu system envisage a reduction of the number of municipalities. Recent mergers of municipalities have already reduced the number to 1,800. They are seeking further mergers to reduce the number of municipalities to a 700-1,000 level. The present 47 prefectures, including Hokkaido and Tokyo, are to be abolished and reorganized into ten or so larger provinces (Hokkaido and around 9 shu). The role of the state will be limited to diplomatic, military, and judicial affairs. The system is aimed at relieving the state of its tasks stipulated by the Constitution, such as employment, social services, and education, and imposing them onto the local administrative units. The change would result in substantial cuts in standardized levels of education and social services, the funding for which was previously guaranteed by the state.

Business circles praise it

The idea of introducing a do/shu system was called for by Japan's business circles. Mitarai Fujio, president of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) following a discussion with LDP officials on August 3 highly praised the LDP for incorporating the do/shu system in its election platform.

Keidanren in the past proposed introducing the system many times. In November 2008, it defined the system as an ultimate structural reform of overhauling the nation's administrative organizations.

The proposal estimated that 5.8483 trillion yen in tax revenues can be saved by substantially reducing the number of government employees and making public investments more efficient. It says that the larger administrative units of do/shu would then be able to independently develop roads, ports and other infrastructure to invite businesses to their respective regions.

It is a plan to alienate residents from administrative services to save money and to use extra funds for large development projects to encourage large corporations to do business in do/shu.

The "structural reform" policy promoted by the LDP-Komei government has done great damage to prefectures and municipalities.

Local governments in cities, towns, and villages were forced to merge to reduce their numbers, and subsidies, grants and other forms of government aid have been substantially curtailed. In the three fiscal years from 2004 to 2006, 3 trillion yen in tax revenue was transferred from the state to local governments. However, a 4.7 trillion yen cut in subsidies and a 5.1 trillion yen cut in local grant taxes resulted in a net deficit of 6.8 trillion yen for local governments.

The LDP-Komei policy has already devastated local administrations and the attempt now is to further the "structural reform" policy by establishing a do/shu system. This has nothing to do with any effort to invigorate municipalities in the true sense of the word.

The do/shu system advocates are not taking into consideration any public needs.

Yamamoto Fumio, chair of the National Association of Towns & Villages, criticized the advocates of the do/shu system as being controlled by the government and business circles, far removed from the common sense of the the general public.

JCP opposes

The Japanese Communist Party is opposed to replacing the present prefectures into fewer do/shu units because it would mean that the state relinquishes its responsibility for welfare and education, alienates people from administration, and further devastates localities and reduce local self-government into a mere formality.

If devolution is necessary in the true sense of the word, the state should give local administrations financial guarantees so that cities, towns, and villages can help people's businesses and livelihoods. The JCP maintains that state burden and subsidies in welfare and education should not be abolished or reduced but should be increased instead.

- Akahata, August 6, 2009