All parties in Tokyo must report details of political research grants

Japan Press Weekly

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

All parties in Tokyo must report details of political research grants

The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on August 31 published each political party’s report on the FY 2009 policy research grants and receipts on how the money was used. Responding to the Japanese Communist Party’s longstanding efforts, the assembly from this year requires all parties to attach receipts on their expenditures repaid by tax money.

A Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member can receive 600,000 yen a year, the highest amount of all assemblies in Japan, as policy research subsidies. However, there has been no need to attach any receipts to financial statements, and Tokyo residents, therefore, have criticized the lack of transparency in the use of tax revenues.

The report and receipts expose that the DPJ, LDP, and Komei in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly wasted tax money for taxis, lunches, souvenirs, chewing gum, candies, and juice in the name of policy research expenses.

The JCP has repeatedly submitted to the assembly a bill to require all parties to make public their policy research funds report with receipts attached. The JCP has voluntarily publicized details of the use of its political research grant.

Yoshida Nobuo of the JCP Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly members’ group said, “The report even shows that the policy research grants were used for assemblymen-owned rooms as office rent and wining and dining expenses at New Year’s parties as well as for participation fees. What has made this possible is that requirements to use political research subsidies were adversely revised in defiance of the JCP opposition.”

Yoshida went on to say, “The JCP consistently keeps its own principle to reimburse only actual expenses and to ban spending on wining and dining from the political research grant because the money comes from tax revenues. We strongly call for a review in the usage requirements.”

- Akahata, September 1, 2010