財政健全化 来年度予算の編成が試金石だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jul. 20, 2010)
Drawing up next year's budget a touchstone
財政健全化　来年度予算の編成が試金石だ（7月19日付・読売社説）

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan faces difficulty managing policy due to his party's debilitating defeat in the House of Councillors election. Whatever the effects of the poll, the fact that Japan faces a serious fiscal crisis remains unchanged.
　参院選での敗北で、菅内閣は難しい政策運営を迫られているが、日本が深刻な財政危機に直面する状況に変化はない。

The fiscal 2011 budget, compilation of which will start soon, must be the first step Kan takes toward putting state finances back on sound footing.
　首相は、編成作業が間もなくスタートする２０１１年度予算を、財政健全化の一歩としなければならない。

Of the 92 trillion yen in spending in the fiscal 2010 budget, a mere 37 trillion yen can be covered by tax revenue. After including nontax revenue, the 44 trillion yen shortfall must be made up for by issuing government bonds.
　歳出総額９２兆円のうち、税収で賄えるのは３７兆円だけ。税外収入をかき集めても不足する４４兆円は国債発行頼み――。これが１０年度予算の実態である。

Moreover, the combined long-term debt of the central and local governments adds up to a staggering 862 trillion yen, the worst among industrialized nations.
　加えて、国と地方を合わせた長期債務は８６２兆円と、先進国で最悪の水準だ。

Because of the concern that Japan will follow Greece on a path of fiscal meltdown, Kan called for raising the consumption tax rate and restraining government spending.
　この状況を放置すればギリシャの二の舞いになるとして、菅首相が訴えたのが消費税率引き上げであり、歳出の抑制である。

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Spending-cut framework

The government has already established a framework for curbing spending.
　そのうち、歳出抑制については大枠が設定済みだ。

In the fiscal management strategy approved by the Cabinet last month, the government decided to cap expenditures, which consist of general-account spending and tax grants allocated to local governments, at 71 trillion yen, the figure for fiscal 2010, in the fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2013 budgets. Government bond issuance was set at no more than 44 trillion yen for fiscal 2011.
　先月閣議決定した「財政運営戦略」で、１１年度～１３年度予算では地方交付税と一般歳出を合わせた支出を、１０年度と同じ７１兆円以下にすることが決められた。また、１１年度の国債発行額は、４４兆円を上限とすることも明記された。

However, the proposed plan to cut government spending is insufficient because what was used as a reference, the fiscal 2010 budget, was a typical example of a bloated budget.
　だが、放漫財政の典型とされた１０年度予算と同じ規模では、歳出削減策として不十分だ。

The government must seriously reexamine the handout policies based on the Democratic Party of Japan's manifesto for last summer's House of Representatives election.
　昨年の衆院選で民主党が掲げた政権公約（マニフェスト）に基づくバラマキ政策を、大胆に見直すことが肝要である。

The budget for the current fiscal year includes a large portion of allocations to cover child-rearing allowances, for income compensation for farming households, and to make some expressway portions toll-free.
　１０年度予算には、子ども手当や農家への戸別所得補償、高速道路の一部無料化などに、多額の予算が計上されている。

In its campaign platform for the recent upper house poll, the DPJ pledged to maintain and expand these handout policies, raising the fear that government spending will increase further. Given the dire fiscal situation, the government cannot afford to continue such spending policies.
　民主党は参院選で、こうした政策の継続・拡大を公約しており、歳出がさらに膨らむ恐れがある。財政難のおり、こうした施策を続ける余裕はないはずだ。

With this in mind, a ceiling on budgetary requests made by government ministries and agencies becomes indispensable.
　その意味で、予算要求の段階で縛りをかける概算要求基準（シーリング）が重要となる。

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Secure revenue sources first

In compiling the current fiscal budget, the administration of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama eliminated the ceiling established by the previous government formed by the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner New Komeito. This led to government offices making unlimited budgetary requests and eventually to bloated government spending.
　１０年度予算では、自公政権が設定したシーリングを鳩山内閣が撤廃したため、各省庁から要求が際限なく出され、結局、削減しきれずに歳出が大きく膨らんだ。

Reflecting on this, the Kan Cabinet was scheduled to reinstate the ceiling by approving it at a Cabinet meeting Friday.
　その反省から菅内閣はシーリングを復活させ、７月２３日にも閣議了解する予定だった。

However, discussions on the reinstatement of the ceiling have not made any headway because some Cabinet ministers raised objections. Given the deadlock, it looks less likely that the Kan administration will be able to halt the increase in government spending.
　だが、一部閣僚から一律にシーリングをかけることに異論が出るなど、議論は進んでいない。これでしっかり歯止めをかけることが出来るのだろうか。

The government's fiscal management strategy incorporates the principle that a revenue source must be secured before a new policy is implemented. Cabinet ministers must comply with this principle when making budgetary requests for fiscal 2011.
　財政運営戦略には、新政策を実施する場合は、それに見合う財源を確保してから、という原則が盛り込まれた。各閣僚は、１１年度予算の要求に当たって、この原則を順守すべきである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 19, 2010)
（2010年7月19日01時32分 読売新聞）