Japan Press Weekly

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2015 January 21 - 27 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

A Tokyo municipality sued for outsourcing family registration service

Nearly 1,400 Adachi Ward residents on January 21 filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court, demanding that the ward mayor stop outsourcing the municipal service of family registration to a private company.

The plaintiff group claims that the public-private outsourcing deal is in violation of the right to privacy.

Mayor Kondo Yayoi in March 2013 began contracting out the census register service to Fuji Xerox System Service Co., Ltd. despite knowing that this company was involved in a personal data-leak incident in 2009.

The municipal government initially explained that contracted-out work would improve civil services and would help reduce costs. However, ward residents now have to wait even longer at the ward office counters and the ward office needs more money for the private sector. The Local Autonomy Act requires each municipality to abide by the principle to ensure maximum effect in paperwork with the least expense.

The plaintiffs demand that the ward office not use public funds any more for outsourcing of the family registration service and stop renewing the outsourcing contract. They also seek 384 million yen in compensation for the losses caused by the outsourcing policy.

One of the plaintiffs said, “The mayor knew about the 2009 Fuji Xerox case. But she did not mention the incident to the ward assembly, thus deceiving the ward residents.”

Past related articles:
> Tokyo’s Adachi Ward partially stops outsourcing public services [August 20, 2014]
> Municipality’s outsourcing of family registration service arouses public concern [August 18, 2014]