How should medium- and long-term problems be resolved? The ruling and opposition parties must discuss them from a broad perspective.
Representatives from each party have started interpellations over policy speeches delivered by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Diet. The interpellations constitute the legislature's first full-scale battle of words in about 3-1/2 months.
Yukio Edano, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), took up the issue of the revelations that top officials at Kansai Electric Power Co. had received a large amount of money and other valuables from a former deputy mayor of Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, which hosts the firm's Takahama nuclear power plant. Edano demanded the government investigate the case, saying, "This has to do with the very basis of nuclear power policies."
With the start of a probe into the matter by a third-party committee set up by Kansai Electric in mind, the prime minister emphasized, "It is critical to thoroughly uncover the whole truth behind the case."
Nuclear power stations are a baseload electricity source that supports a stable power supply. Kansai Electric's conduct could incur distrust in its business operations. The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, the organ in charge of nuclear power policies, should be held heavily responsible for the matter as a supervisory body in this respect. It is important to clarify the realities of the matter and take thorough steps to prevent a similar case from occurring again.
The prime minister should display his leadership in working toward the recovery of trust in nuclear power policies.
Edano criticized the latest rise in the consumption tax rate to 10 percent, which he described as "extremely problematic at a time when the economy has not yet recovered." He also stated that only a small number of business operators have joined reward points programs applied to cashless payments.
"Efforts will be made to ensure the system is better known," the prime minister said.
The consumption tax is a stable revenue source aimed at covering a continued increase in social security expenditures. The hike in the consumption tax rate can be described as reasonable even from the standpoint of fairness, as the burden is shouldered by a wide range of people, including the elderly.
Questions can be raised about Edano's calls for increasing corporate and income taxes as an alternative for the consumption tax.
Amid progress in economic and financial globalization, many nations have lowered their corporate taxes. If Japan implements a tax increase, it could arouse concerns that corporations may shift their footholds here to other countries. Increasing income taxes may dampen people's motivation to work and lessen the vitality of society.
If Edano touts the CDPJ as a responsible opposition party, he should think about realistic polices conducive to economic growth, not just giving too much weight to the distribution of wealth.
Edano demanded concrete measures be presented on expanding the coverage of employees' pension insurance to include non-permanent workers. Such measures will be "considered by the end of the year," the prime minister said. The government must explain its progress in studying social security system reforms wherever possible, thereby contributing to substantive deliberations in the Diet.
At a meeting in Aomori Prefecture, House of Representatives Speaker Tadamori Oshima called for reaching a conclusion about a bill to revise the National Referendum Law, which lays down procedures for constitutional amendment. The opposition camp opposed his remark, saying it lacked neutrality, and this caused a delay in opening a plenary session of the lower house.
It cannot be called a problem if the lower house speaker presses for promoting discussions on a piece of legislation. The ruling and opposition parties need to quickly start calm debates at the Commission on the Constitution in each chamber of the Diet.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 8, 2019)
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