Prefectural lawmakers use 96 million yen for overseas visits

Japan Press Weekly

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

Prefectural lawmakers use 96 million yen for overseas visits

Using 96 million yen in tax money in three years, almost all lawmakers of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly made overseas trips, the Japanese Communist Party Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly members’ group revealed on September 2.

The JCP discovered this based on documents it obtained from the secretariat of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly about overseas visits made by the assembly members between August 2007 and April 2010.

Out of 88 fixed-seats, 80 members of political parties, including the Democratic, Liberal Democratic, and Komei parties, visited countries in North and South America, northern Europe, and South East Asia on 36 different tours.

From July 12 to July 20, 2008 nine LDP lawmakers spent 7.2 million yen to tour four countries, including Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, under the pretext of studying how to manage World Heritage sites.

Seven lawmakers went to Brazil and the United States between June 13 and June 26, 2008 to attend a ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of Japanese migration to Brazil that was hosted by the prefecture. However, after attending the ceremonial events for only two days, they visited a number of art museums in Rio de Janeiro and New York. They used 12.7 million yen in tax money for this tour.

Under the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly’s rule, each lawmaker can use one million yen in tax money for overseas visits during his/her term of office.

JCP prefectural assembly member Majima Shozo said, “Lawmakers’ overseas visits are out of touch with popular sentiment when people are experiencing hardships under the increased rates of poverty and growth in social disparities.”

Majima also said, “The JCP urges the prefectural assembly to limit the attendance of official events outside Japan to the chair and the vice chair of the Assembly, stop allocating one million yen for overseas visits per assembly member, and require all assembly members to make available all documentation regarding their overseas visits.”

- Akahata, September 3, 2010