Concern for people's livelihood is nil in FY 2003 budget -- Akahata editorial, September 4 (excerpts)

Fiscal policy should be devoted to stabilizing the people's well-being. But the budgetary requests from government ministries and agencies for fiscal 2003 (Apr. 2003-Mar., 2004) will completely reverse the basics by forcing people to endure more hardships.

The government plan for an increase in the burden and cuts in benefits in all social services, medical and nursing care, employment and pension, will result in a budgetary slash of 3.2 trillion yen (27 billion dollars).

It must be noted that the level of social benefits in Japan is much smaller than those in European countries. The government, however, is moving to further reduce public funding for social services.

Takenaka Heizo, state minister in charge of economic, fiscal, and IT policy, in his book stated that social services amount to "sponging off society." He completely lacks the concept that politics and finance should primarily be devoted to protecting the people's livelihood.

The "structural reform" policy of the Koizumi Cabinet is destroying the function that national budget should fulfill.

Amid the prolonged economic recession the planned major plunder will deal a deadly blow to household and national economies. Finance Minister Shiokawa Masajuro has warned that the government should remember that the stringent budget under the Hashimoto Cabinet resulted in major damage to the economy.

It is easily predictable that such a policy under the present economic circumstances would deepen the recession even further than under the Hashimoto Cabinet.

We must not overlook that the budget includes generous tax cuts and other benefits for large corporations while an unprecedentedly heavy burden is imposed on the people. The government is studying a 2 trillion yen (17 billion dollars) tax cut for large corporations by asking ordinary people to pay more in taxes.

Wasteful public works projects, military expenditures, and a tax system in marked favor of large corporations are the major hindrance for a national budget to fulfill its due task of helping the people live a stable life.
The 2003 budget outline shows that the policy of the Koizumi Cabinet needs to be completely changed. (end)