Japan Press Weekly

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2011 January 19 - 25 [JCP]

JCP local assembly members actively work to boost local economy

An increasing number of municipalities have implemented subsidy systems to residents for house renovations. With efforts made by local assembly members of the Japanese Communist Party, this public subsidy system has helped increase business going to small- and medium-sized businesses and revitalize local economies.

In Tokyo’s neighboring Saitama Prefecture, a total of 102.7 million yen was provided by municipalities to 1,450 applicants under the public subsidy system in FY 2009. The system has been introduced to 26 out of 64 cities, towns, and villages in Saitama, according to the Saitama Prefectural Construction Workers Union (Saitama Doken).

Saitama’s Yashio City adopted the subsidy program for residents in 2002. However, it was only applied to a maximum of 17 cases annually until 2009. Four JCP Yashio City Assembly members, jointly with local branches of Saitama Doken and the Democratic Commerce and Industry Organizations (Minsho), called on the city assembly to improve the system.

With the revision of the system at a local assembly meeting last September, the city office now provides for residents 50 percent of the cost (between 100,000 and 200,000 yen) for house renovations or extensions done by local SMEs. If the cost exceeds 200,000 yen, the city pays 100,000 yen across the board to house owners.

The revision also approved more interior work for the system to be applied to, including changing tatami mats, wallpaper, doors, and window sashes. In just three weeks since October 15 when the city office started accepting residents’ requests, it received nearly 300 applications for its 30 million-yen budget allocated to this system.

In Niiza City of Saitama, JCP City Assembly member Kojika Nobue for six years called on the municipality to adopt the subsidy system. In July 2009, the city office finally decided to pay five percent of the cost of residents’ house expansions if they amount to more than 500,000 yen.

In the Saitama Prefectural Assembly, JCP representative Yamakawa Sumie demanded that the prefectural government establish its own subsidy program for residents’ house renovations. Governor Ueda Kiyoshi promised that he will examine the proposal.

According to Saitama Doken, 61 municipalities in Saitama have implemented a system to place orders for repairs at public facilities to local SMEs. JCP Prefectural Assembly members said that they will continue to make special effort to expand those systems in the prefecture to help revitalize local economies.