The government, changing its plan to link each person's My Number identification with all of their bank accounts, now plans to link each number with just one account, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. The effort is meant to speed up payments of cash relief for disasters, including epidemics.
The government will submit a bill to revise the law for the My Number universal ID system to the ordinary Diet session next year, aiming to start the system within a few years. Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed the policy on Monday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when they had talks at the Prime Minister's Office.
My Number is a 12-digit number assigned to all residents in Japan and can be used for administrative work in three fields only: social security, tax and disaster preparedness.
According to the government's policy, distribution of cash relief for an emergency economic package will be added to the type of administrative work for which the use of My Number is allowed, and each My Number will also be linked with a bank account.
The linkage will enable a resident to receive cash relief smoothly without going through an application process, although those who without such links would have to go through prolonged procedures. Under those circumstances, linkage would become an almost mandatory system.
In the case of the spread of the new coronavirus, the government failed to promptly provide 100,000 yen in cash across the board due to such processes as mailed applications. In the case of online applications using My Number, it has been pointed out that applicants have to submit their bank account numbers as well, and it is taking time for local governments to cross-check that data.
The government had contemplated the possibility of establishing a law that would make it obligatory to link My Number with all bank accounts held by an individual. The measure was aimed at accurately assessing individual assets as well as preventing tax evasion and illegal receipt of welfare benefits. However, the government gave up on this measure due to a backlash against allowing central and local governments to become aware of citizens' personal assets.
The government will consider using the linkage for verification in cases when passbooks are lost in disasters or to identify bank accounts of the deceased for inheritance purposes.
On Monday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito, as well as opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai, submitted a bill to the House of Representatives that calls for the central government to create and manage "a list of bank accounts" in which an individual's My Number, bank account numbers, and names and addresses of financial institutions are all linked. However, most opposition parties are expected to oppose the bill, and its early passage is unlikely.
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