Japan Press Weekly

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2011 May 25 - 31 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

TEPCO employees also working as gov’t staff

TEPCO has sent many of its employees to work in national government offices and agencies related to nuclear power generation. This was revealed by Japanese Communist Party representative Yoshii Hidekatsu on May 27.

“It is like TEPCO having its own branch office within the government,” criticized Yoshii at a House of Representatives Committee meeting on economy and industry.

The utility’s employees have been working as the assistant chief cabinet secretary or assigned to the Nuclear Safety Commission in the Cabinet Office as well as the Research and Development Bureau of the Atomic Energy Division in the Technology Ministry, which is in charge of the development of fast-breeder reactor “Monju”.

In response to Yoshii, a government official stated that TEPCO has sent 12 of its workers to the Cabinet Secretariat, 15 to the Cabinet Office, and 9 to the Technology Miistry.

Pointing out that many retired officials of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the nuclear energy promoter, obtained executive positions at the electric company, Yoshii called for the elimination of all cozy ties between bureaucrats and corporations.