4.4 billion yen in subsidies to political parties unused

Japan Press Weekly

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

4.4 billion yen in subsidies to political parties unused

Unused government subsidies to political parties have amounted to 4.4 billion yen, Japanese Communist Party representative Sasaki Kensho revealed at a House of Representatives committee meeting on November 12.

"This is what the government should examine in its budget screening process," said Sasaki, calling on the accumulated public subsidies to be returned to the national treasury.

Nearly half of the unused political funds, or 2.1 billion yen, is held by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, which has just led the third round of the government budget-screening session.

The JCP is the only party which refuses to accept the government subsidies for political parties. It calls for the subsidy system to be abolished.

- Akahata, November 13, 2010