Government's excuses to raise a rate of consumption tax are enumerated: they include improvement in economic performance shown by GDP and even the recent decision of hosting the Olympic Games in Tokyo. These factors are used to heighten the rate to 8% in April, 2014. A gap-widening society has been prevailed for long. Another hike will deepen social contradictions to cause harsher discrimination. Let's oppose the hike with the strongest voices.


TAX HIKE FOR PEOPLE TO SUPPORT BUSINESS


Premier Abe Shinzo told; 'the Olympic Games will bring dreams and hopes, which, in the economic term, is the fourth element of my policy and a consecutive 15 years of shrinking trend of national economy should be cleared up with an explosive factor of hosting the Games'. He instructed his government to prepare right environment for hiking the consumption tax rate. He is planned to announce a decision early October in the merrymaking of hosting the sports event here in 2020.


Premier declared 'fully blocked' on Fukushima's radioactivity


Premier himself attended the IOC general meeting and delivered a speech, in which he told, referring to the controversial leakage of radioactive water at the Fukushima Plant, that 'the situation is under full control and Tokyo is not inflicted with damages'. He continued to say baldly that 'impacts from the contaminated water has been perfectly blocked within an area of 0.3 square meters inside the bay next to the power plants', 'I can promise you that there were not, are not and will not be health problems at all'. In refuting anxiety of the international community about having the Games in Tokyo, Premier Abe used a deceiving way in which he tells what looks black is white.


Prime Minister seems that he is unaware of facts that many of the people affected by the earthquake still live in the makeshift houses after two and a half years from the disaster and, especially, those who lost their native towns and future lives due to the nuclear accident and incomplete de-contamination jobs.


Premier Abe just thinks over economy, economic growth. He had a meeting with over 60 tax experts for six days at the end of August to discuss surging the consumption tax rate scheduled to take effect in coming April.


The biggest concern of the premier lies in a way how to tackle opposing social reactions. Simultaneously he is intended to be a long-life government during which he may open a path to be free from the existing constitutional framework established after the WWII, because his previous government had failed in accomplishing this task. Though the tax experts responded favorably to Premier Abe and over 70% of them agreed to raise the tax rate, Premier had told that he would make final judgment. This behavior reflects his firm determination.


Premier Abe will never behave for the sake of stability and improvement of people's life, elaborating policies after severe discussions; he never pays attention at all to those vulnerable who cannot afford to survive in the competitive society.


Use tax money, but for what?


The consumption tax is levied on those temporary workers, who occupy over 30% of total workforce, whose annual income is below 2 million Yen, pensioners whose monthly benefits count less than dozens of thousands Yen and those affected by the 2011 earthquake. This type of tax hits more severely on socially vulnerable people, in other words, a regressive impact is high.


For what is the government intended to use the heightened portion of tax? It has reviewed practices and cut budgets of life protection services and welfare policies for the elderly, while it distributes 5 trillion Yen, or 5% of the increased portion of tax revenue, to business and to a policy package to boost the economy. It means higher tax for people to benefit business.


In addition, the current financial debts count over a thousand trillion Yen. But no prospect is seen to shrink them. The consumption tax has so many contradictions. It will widen gaps and discard socially vulnerable people.


Let's raise the strongest voices to oppose the increase of consumption tax rate.


September 24, 2013