2009 September 21 - 29 [
POLITICS]
Association to End Consumption Tax will increase grassroots movements
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September 28, 2009
The National Association to End the Consumption Tax on September 27 held its 20th general meeting in Tokyo and made a fresh start with the inauguration of the new government under the slogan that everyday activities at the grassroots level can force changes in politics.
The meeting was attended by about 150 people representing regional associations.
General Secretary Umemura Saeko in the report to the meeting emphasized that in the recent general election, the 20 years of the association’s movement in collaboration with the public contributed to putting an end to the Liberal Democratic-Komei government that had sought to increase the consumption tax rate from 2011, and influenced the new government to announce a suspension of the consumption tax hike.
Umemura called on participants to promote activities in response to people’s expectations, to achieve a 1.5 million membership, and to develop grassroots movements.
Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Koike Akira said that it is possible to secure the resources for social welfare without relying on the consumption tax by reducing the military budget and excessive tax breaks for big corporations, and that the JCP will work harder both in the Diet and at the grassroots level to press the new government to take such measures.
A representative from Wakayama Prefecture reported that it has been five years since they started a signature-collecting action on the first day of each month calling for opposition to a consumption tax increase, and said it is necessary to tell as many people as possible how extremely regressive the consumption tax is.
- Akahata, September 28, 2009
