January 28, 2010

About 1,600 small- and medium-sized company owners across the country on January 27 held a rally at Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo calling on the government to take measures to deal with declines in orders and pressing financial difficulties, and provide financial support for temporary closings.

Facing a situation in which small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are worried the fact that there is no sign of recovery from the recession and add business situation, SMEs owners’ national association organized the rally.

A builder from Niigata Prefecture said, “I’ve received very few orders. The government’s economic recovery plan should contain measures to address people’s financial difficulties so that we can receive housing orders.”

Rally participants adopted a resolution, stating, “Without recovering SMEs’ vitality, the Japanese economy can’t recover. It is necessary to change the economic policy from one that depends on foreign demand to one led by domestic demand, and to achieve the recovery based on that policy.”

Japanese Communist Party Yoshii Hidekatsu, Shiokawa Tetsuya (House of Representatives), and Nihi Sohei (House of Councilors) as well as Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers took part in the rally.

After the rally, participants marched in demonstration to the Diet building.
- Akahata, January 28, 2010