Japan Press Weekly

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2013 June 26 - July 2 [OKINAWA]

JCP succeeds in stopping use of Okinawa tax revenues to build US post office

The Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Members’ Group has succeeded in having the local government retract its promise made with U.S. Forces Japan that Okinawa will pay 800 million yen for the construction cost of a U.S. post office.

An Okinawa official on June 27 stated this in response to questions by JCP assemblywoman Nishime Sumie during a prefectural assembly session.

Associated with the partial return of the U.S. Makiminato Service Area (Camp Kinser) in Urasoe City, the USFJ demanded that Okinawa cover the cost of building a new post office as an alternative for the existing PO located in the planned return site.

However, under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, Japan has no obligation to pay for relocating U.S. military facilities when U.S.-held land is reversed to Japan.

Okinawa assemblypersons of the JCP have repeatedly criticized the local government for using Okinawa tax revenues for the USFJ without any legal foundation to do so.

Nishime said, “It is epoch-making for Okinawa to decide to break with the past practice of bearing the USFJ-related costs, but the central government will shoulder the costs in Okinawa’s stead. We will continue to make efforts to have this practice terminated.”