Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2020 April 15 - 21 [POLITICS]

JCP submits proposal in order to stop explosive spread of COVID-19 and collapse of medical system

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on April 16 held a press conference in the Diet building and announced a proposal which should be incorporated in the anti-coronavirus supplementary budget to assist in preventing COVID-19 from spreading further and Japan's overall medical system from collapsing.

The proposal includes items regarding the government stay-at-home and business shutdown requests in a set that includes compensation, improvement in the PCR testing system, and financial assistance to medical institutions.

The outline of the proposal is:

Due to the government request to stay at home and to close non-essential stores, many people and business owners are suffering direct or indirect losses in their earnings. All affected individuals and business owners will quickly be compensated so that they can survive economically:

- 100,000 yen per person will be paid without delay to all people living in Japan; and
- further compensation will be provided to support people's livelihoods and businesses.

In order to avoid the collapse of the country's overall healthcare system, the PCR testing system will be drastically improved/strengthened, and adequate funding will be provided to medical institutions:

- PCR testing centers will be available nationwide for people who are suspected of being infected with COVID-19;
- financial compensation to medical institutions and financial backing to community medical clinics will be promoted; and
- the amount of the budget allotted will be raised to a level of several trillion yen earmarked to stop the collapse of hospitals and clinics.

The nursing-care system, welfare for the disabled, and other social welfare programs will be maintained. Every measure will be taken to ensure gender equality:

- The transmission of the virus in nursing-care/welfare facilities will be properly addressed, and compensation will be provided for additional burdens and a loss of earnings;
- a consulting system and shelters will be secured for domestic violence and child abuse, and the COVID-19 countermeasures will attach importance to promoting gender equality; and
- support for students will be instituted as government policy.

The consumption tax rate will be reduced to five percent. Funding to achieve this will be secured by having large corporations and the rich to shoulder a fair share of tax burdens and by reviewing the present taxation system to an according-to-ability-to-pay system after the corona crisis is brought under control.