Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2022 November 30 - December 6 [POLITICS]

2nd supplementary budget allocating massive amount to military budget passed through Lower House

The second supplementary budget for fiscal 2022 was passed in the House of Representatives plenary session on November 29 with a majority vote comprised of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Komei Party, and the Democratic Party for the People. The Japanese Communist Party voted against the supplemental-spending bill.

JCP representative Miyamoto Toru criticized the bill for budgeting such a massive amount to military affairs while allocating an insufficient amount to countermeasures against high prices.

Miyamoto noted that the military budget incorporated in the bill is mostly to cover expenses associated with the U.S. military realignment in Japan such as the construction of a new U.S. base in Henoko (Okinawa Pref,) and the construction of a base in Mageshima (Kagoshima Pref.).

In order to reduce the negative impacts on people's livelihoods from rising prices, Miyamoto demanded that a nationwide across-the-board minimum hourly wage of 1,500 yen be immediately implemented; the government take measures to increase wages of care workers working in public facilities for nursing-care, childcare, and persons with disabilities; a heavier burden of nursing-care insurance premiums be abandoned; the planned tax-invoice system be cancelled; and the move to double the military budget be stopped.

Prior to the plenary session, at a Budget Committee meeting, Miyamoto said that a boost in military spending to 2% of GDP as the government plans for FY2027 will amount to about eleven trillion yen, which is roughly twice as much as the current military budget.

He pointed out that according to the proposal made by a relevant expert panel, 40,000 yen per capita or 160,000 yen for a 4-member household will be levied in the form of taxes to make up for the anticipated increase in military spending.

He criticized the ruling LDP for having said nothing about a military-related tax increase on its campaign agenda in both the Lower House election last year and the Upper House election this year. He stated that voters have not given a carte blanche to the LDP government, and demanded the cancellation of the military buildup plan.

Past related articles:
> All parties in meeting with Zenroren discussing minimum wages call for nationally-uniform system [November 29, 2022]
> Finance Ministry: \11.2 trillion arms spending may weaken Japanese economy [June 28, 2022]