January 14, 2015
Lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party saved more than 800 million yen they received in public subsidies to political parties in 2013, Akahata reported on January 14.
Akahata surveyed the political funds reports submitted by LDP Dietmembers’ local branches.
The governing party received a total of 15.06 billion yen in party subsidies in 2013, and distributed the money to over 400 local chapters across the country. Of them, 253 branches left some of the funds unspent and carried the excess forward to the next year. The amount carried over totaled about 827 million yen as of the end of 2013, up 110 million yen from the previous year.
The number of LDP legislators who salted away more than 10 million yen in just one year totaled 17, including National Public Safety Commission Chair Yamatani Eriko (House of Councilors).
The government subsidies are taxpayers’ money. If political parties leave the money unused, they should return it to the national treasury. However, as the Political Party Grant Law has a loophole allowing them to lay aside the money left as “funds”, they seldom give it back.
The Japanese Communist Party, the only party which has consistently refused to accept the grants, is set to propose a bill to repeal the party subsidy system at the beginning of the regular Diet session.
Past related articles:
> JCP to submit bill to abolish political party subsidy system [January 6, 2015]
> 80% of political parties disbanded after receiving public subsidies since 1995 [November 27, 2014]
Akahata surveyed the political funds reports submitted by LDP Dietmembers’ local branches.
The governing party received a total of 15.06 billion yen in party subsidies in 2013, and distributed the money to over 400 local chapters across the country. Of them, 253 branches left some of the funds unspent and carried the excess forward to the next year. The amount carried over totaled about 827 million yen as of the end of 2013, up 110 million yen from the previous year.
The number of LDP legislators who salted away more than 10 million yen in just one year totaled 17, including National Public Safety Commission Chair Yamatani Eriko (House of Councilors).
The government subsidies are taxpayers’ money. If political parties leave the money unused, they should return it to the national treasury. However, as the Political Party Grant Law has a loophole allowing them to lay aside the money left as “funds”, they seldom give it back.
The Japanese Communist Party, the only party which has consistently refused to accept the grants, is set to propose a bill to repeal the party subsidy system at the beginning of the regular Diet session.
Past related articles:
> JCP to submit bill to abolish political party subsidy system [January 6, 2015]
> 80% of political parties disbanded after receiving public subsidies since 1995 [November 27, 2014]
