April 14, 2020
Akahata editorial (excerpts)
In Tokyo and six prefectures specified by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo a week ago in his declaration of a state of emergency, governors have been stepping up their efforts to limit social interactions by officially requesting residents to stay at home and businesses to suspend their activities.
Compared to before the declaration, there are much fewer people in the streets in business and shopping districts. In response to governors’ requests, many restaurants, bars, and other shops decided to shorten their opening hours or put closed signs on their doors. Even before the declaration, shop sales had kept decreasing since the COVID-19 spread became serious and many businesses had to use their savings to pay wages and rents. The emergency declaration has increased hardships on businesses, especially smaller and family-run businesses.
PM Abe on April 11 called on all companies in the seven prefectures to implement measures so that 70% of their workers will not commute to their workplaces. He also expressed his intent to request people across the country to refrain from going to restaurants and nightclubs in bustling districts.
While repeatedly stressing the need for business suspension, PM Abe refuses to compensate for loss of income stemming from his request. Even if acknowledging the importance to respond to the suspension request, already-struggling businesses cannot do so without compensation of income losses.
It is essential to create without delay a compensation program to mitigate financial difficulties faced by businesses as well as a program under which everyone in Japan can receive 100,000 yen in cash benefits with a minimal amount of paperwork required.
Past related article:
> Abe gov’t seeks to promote use of elderly workers without legal protection [March 18, 2020]
In Tokyo and six prefectures specified by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo a week ago in his declaration of a state of emergency, governors have been stepping up their efforts to limit social interactions by officially requesting residents to stay at home and businesses to suspend their activities.
Compared to before the declaration, there are much fewer people in the streets in business and shopping districts. In response to governors’ requests, many restaurants, bars, and other shops decided to shorten their opening hours or put closed signs on their doors. Even before the declaration, shop sales had kept decreasing since the COVID-19 spread became serious and many businesses had to use their savings to pay wages and rents. The emergency declaration has increased hardships on businesses, especially smaller and family-run businesses.
PM Abe on April 11 called on all companies in the seven prefectures to implement measures so that 70% of their workers will not commute to their workplaces. He also expressed his intent to request people across the country to refrain from going to restaurants and nightclubs in bustling districts.
While repeatedly stressing the need for business suspension, PM Abe refuses to compensate for loss of income stemming from his request. Even if acknowledging the importance to respond to the suspension request, already-struggling businesses cannot do so without compensation of income losses.
It is essential to create without delay a compensation program to mitigate financial difficulties faced by businesses as well as a program under which everyone in Japan can receive 100,000 yen in cash benefits with a minimal amount of paperwork required.
Past related article:
> Abe gov’t seeks to promote use of elderly workers without legal protection [March 18, 2020]
