Japan Press Weekly

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2022 December 21 - 2023 January 10 [POLITICS]

Koike: JCP with its own budget proposal will conduct budget debate in Diet

The Kishida government at its Cabinet meeting on December 23 decided on the government-drafted initial budget for fiscal 2023. The draft budget of nearly 114.4 trillion yen will be discussed in the ordinary session of the Diet starting on January 23.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on the same day published a statement in opposition to the draft budget which includes the plan to allocate 43 trillion yen over the next five years for an unprecedented military buildup.

Koike in his statement pointed out that the draft budget sacrifices the budget used for people's livelihoods in order to meet the military budget which will be increased by 1.4 trillion yen to 6.8 trillion yen.

In fact, the government-proposed budget will cut the budget for medical spending and place an extra burden on patients. It will also trim the budgets for job security, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and agriculture. In addition, it will virtually reduce the government payments of pension benefits.

Successive governments maintained the position of not issuing government construction bonds for military spending. However, the draft budget for fiscal 2023 will use construction bonds for the construction of Self-Defense Forces' warships. According to the draft budget, a "fund for the strengthening of defense capabilities" (provisional name) will be created, and even part of COVID-related spending as well as national hospitals' reserve funds will be used as resources for the newly-established fund. Over the next several years, revenues from the special income tax for reconstruction of areas affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami will be diverted to military spending.

Koike in his statement expressed his determination that the JCP will engage in Diet debate on the government-proposed budget, demanding that the draft be dramatically revised to one protecting peace and people's livelihoods.