January 6, 2012
Firms to which retired bureaucrats enter as executives, the so-called “Amakudari” corporations, have received half of the public contracts related to the Yanba dam project, which was restarted by the Democratic Party of Japan in violation of its public promise.
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Shiokawa Tetsuya on January 5 uncovered this from financial reports, registration statements submitted to the land ministry, and other documents.
In particular, public contracts associated with the safety of the dam project such as geological research and environmental impact assessments have been awarded to the “Amakudari” corporations.
All these firms came up with reports concluding that the dam project and its safety are “reasonable”.
According to Shiokawa, at least 45 “Amakudari” entities are employing former officials of government ministries and agencies, quasi-governmental organizations, and the prefectural governments of Gunma and Tochigi.
Out of the 45, 39 companies provide high posts for “Amakudari” bureaucrats who retired from the land ministry.
Between April 2008 and November 2011, the Yanba dam construction office ordered 344 contracts amounting to14.2 billion yen for research and inspection services and measurement work.
The 45 “Amakudari” corporations won 291 contracts out of the 344, worth about 7.4 billion yen which accounted for 52% of the total worth of contracts.
Shiokawa said, “My findings suggest that land ministry retirees have been involved in the safety and the environmental assessment of the dam project. The validity of the project should therefore be called into question.”
He added, “It is necessary to prohibit the ‘Amakudari’ practice and dismantle the structure of collusion consisting of politicians, bureaucrats, and businesses that stand to gain from public works projects.”
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Shiokawa Tetsuya on January 5 uncovered this from financial reports, registration statements submitted to the land ministry, and other documents.
In particular, public contracts associated with the safety of the dam project such as geological research and environmental impact assessments have been awarded to the “Amakudari” corporations.
All these firms came up with reports concluding that the dam project and its safety are “reasonable”.
According to Shiokawa, at least 45 “Amakudari” entities are employing former officials of government ministries and agencies, quasi-governmental organizations, and the prefectural governments of Gunma and Tochigi.
Out of the 45, 39 companies provide high posts for “Amakudari” bureaucrats who retired from the land ministry.
Between April 2008 and November 2011, the Yanba dam construction office ordered 344 contracts amounting to14.2 billion yen for research and inspection services and measurement work.
The 45 “Amakudari” corporations won 291 contracts out of the 344, worth about 7.4 billion yen which accounted for 52% of the total worth of contracts.
Shiokawa said, “My findings suggest that land ministry retirees have been involved in the safety and the environmental assessment of the dam project. The validity of the project should therefore be called into question.”
He added, “It is necessary to prohibit the ‘Amakudari’ practice and dismantle the structure of collusion consisting of politicians, bureaucrats, and businesses that stand to gain from public works projects.”
