Japan Press Weekly

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2008 September 10 - 16 [JCP]

JCP finance is sound in sharp contrast with other parties

Following the publication by the government financial reports of political parties for 2007, Japanese Communist Party Finance and Management Bureau Director Ueda Hitoshi issued a statement outlining the features of the JCP’s report as follows:

In 2007, the JCP had a total revenue of 26,484,510,000 yen, down 6.1 percent from the previous year. Its expenditure decreased by 2.7 percent from the previous year to 26,408,190,000 yen.

The political fund reports are a reminder of who political parties are working for.

The JCP is the only party that refuses to receive the government subsidy. It is also opposed to corporate donations to political parties because they have a corrupting influence on politics.

JCP activities depend on money that comes from membership dues and subscription fees for its newspaper Akahata and other publications, plus donations from individuals.

Since 2005, when the new JCP head office building was completed, the JCP’s annual asset report has included 13 billion yen in real estate expenditures. This asset is a product of the grassroots-based nature of its sound financial activities.

On a TV program that covered the JCP, a commentator said the JCP’s refusal to receive the government subsidy is commendable. In fact, many people express support for the JCP’s financial policy.

The JCP calls for a change in government policy to one of serving the betterment of people’s living conditions from the present policy that leads to undermine their living standards. It takes political courage to call for financial circles and large corporations to fulfill their social responsibility and proportionately share in the social responsibilities. The JCP can do this because it is consistent in demanding a ban on corporate donations to political parties and in implementing its financial policy in cooperation with the public.

About 83.6 percent of the JCP’s total income came from subscription fees for the newspaper Akahata and other publications, and 59.6 percent of the total expenditures were spent on publishing Akahata and party magazines. This represents the outstanding and constructive feature of the JCP that makes efforts to increase the readership of the daily and weekly Akahata to make the facts known to the public as we develop grassroots activities. The JCP is determined to make further efforts to win more Akahata subscribers and work to expand cooperation and common actions in defense of living conditions and peace.

In 2007, there were nationwide simultaneous local elections and the House of Councilors election. That is why our election campaign costs drastically increased from the previous year in which there was no nationwide election. However, the amount of election-related expenditures in 2007 was smaller than that in 2005 when the general election took place and in 2004 when the House of Councilors election took place.

The JCP Central Committee will make further efforts in an efficient manner in every field so that the important assets of all party members and supporters will be used more effectively.