May 11, 2012

Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko on May 8 stated, “It is inappropriate to provide pension　benefits to a person who has failed to pay premiums,” at a plenary session of the House of Representatives.

This remark was made in response to Japanese Communist Party parliamentarian Takahashi Chizuko proposing a pension program which guarantees a minimum amount of benefits to everyone.

Contrary to Noda’s opinion, all the developed countries except Japan have the guaranteed minimum pension under their public pension systems. The United Nations has been advising the Japanese government to introduce such a program.