 Article 25 should be stressed in social welfare reform: JCP in Diet The Japanese Communist Party in a joint meeting of both Houses held on April 14 said that now that the pension and social welfare system have lost public trust, how to regain them must be discussed seriously in the meeting and that last year's adverse revision of the Pension Law must be repealed. JCP Policy Commission Chair Koike Akira stated that arguments of the joint meeting, which is made up of all political parties, must be geared to ensure that a "minimum standard of wholesome and cultured living (Article 25 of the Constitution)" are defended. As regards the pension system, Koike proposed establishing a "minimum pension benefit system." As its source of revenue, he proposed cuts in wasteful public undertakings and discontinuing the 5.3 trillion yen tax cut for major corporations and high-income earners that have been in place for the past 9 years. Koike warned that the idea of increasing the consumption tax rate as a source for the pension fund, if enacted, will discourage people from spending money and slow down the national economy. On the medical care and nursing care systems, the Liberal Democratic Party called for their reform through reducing benefits and increasing premiums. They can be financed by reviewing temporary measures of reducing income taxes and by raising the consumption tax, the LDP insisted. The Democratic Party called for establishing a consumption tax system exclusively for running pension schemes. The Komei Party praised last year's adverse revision of the Pension Law, and the Social Democratic Party almost supported starting discussion on the DPJ proposal. (Akahata April 15, 2005) |