概算要求基準 予算編成を人気取りに使うな

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jul. 29, 2010)
Budget compilation isn't popularity contest
概算要求基準　予算編成を人気取りに使うな（7月28日付・読売社説）

The Cabinet has adopted guidelines for fiscal 2011 budgetary requests.
　２０１１年度予算の大枠を示す概算要求基準が閣議決定された。

Last year, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's Cabinet decided to drop similar guidelines, which led to the fiscal 2010 budget ballooning to become the biggest ever.
　昨年は、鳩山内閣によって基準が廃止され、１０年度予算の規模が大きく膨らむ原因となった。

We think the government is right to revive the guidelines for budgetary requests, considering what happened last year. However, the government seems set to charge ahead with the free-spending handout policies the Democratic Party of Japan announced in last year's election manifesto. In stark contrast to planned spending cuts, the government plans to offer income compensation to farmers and partially abolish expressways tolls.
　それを反省して今回、基準を復活させたのは妥当である。だが、農家の戸別所得補償や高速道路の一部無料化など、昨年の民主党の政権公約（マニフェスト）に基づく予算が削減の例外になるなど、バラマキ体質は残ったままだ。

The government also plans to set aside funds to be funneled to growth fields, such as medical and nursing services as well as the environment. It also proposed that determining how to allocate this special budget would be conducted in full view of the public.
　医療・介護や環境など、成長分野に予算を重点配分するための特別枠を設けるが、公開の席で優劣を競う「政策コンテスト」で配分先を決めるという。

The government apparently plans to conduct something along the lines of the budget screening for wasteful spending, which smacked of political grandstanding.
　政治的なパフォーマンスが目立った「事業仕分け」に似た手法といえる。

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Kan seeking boost?

The plan appears to be an attempt to restore the falling popularity of Prime Minister Naoto Kan. But we doubt whether cool-headed discussions can be carried out in an environment open to the public. The government must not use the budget compilation process as a tool to gain popularity.
菅内閣の支持率低下を挽回(ばんかい)する狙いもあるのだろうが、そうした場で冷静な議論ができるとは思えない。予算編成を人気取りの手段にしてはなるまい。

The prime minister must sincerely review and retract funding scheduled to be used for the manifesto pledges, and secure revenue sources before the fiscal 2011 budget will be decided at the end of the year.
　年末の１１年度予算案決定に向け菅首相は今後、マニフェスト予算の改廃や財源の確保に、真摯(しんし)に取り組むべきである。

The outline for the budgetary request guidelines is in line with the fiscal management strategy compiled in June. The government will cap general-account spending, excluding debt-servicing costs, below 71 trillion yen and new government bond issuance below 44 trillion yen, just as in the fiscal 2010 budget.
　要求基準の骨格は、６月にまとまった財政運営戦略に準拠した。国債費を除く歳出と国債新規発行額は、１０年度予算とそれぞれ同じ７１兆円と４４兆円以下にする。

Based on these figures, the Cabinet approved a natural increase of 1.3 trillion yen in social security costs. An expected rise in these costs from the graying population and declining birthrate will be unavoidable, but the child-rearing allowance should be reviewed from scratch.
　これを前提にまず、社会保障費について、１・３兆円の自然増をそのまま認めることにした。少子高齢化で膨らむ分はやむを得ないが、子ども手当については抜本的に見直す必要がある。

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Growth fields

The focus of the budget will be the special allocation for growth fields. The DPJ initially proposed to the government that 2 trillion yen be earmarked for the scheme. The two parties eventually settled on the ambiguous expression of "an amount far above 1 trillion yen."
　焦点は特別枠の扱いである。民主党側は当初、２兆円を提案したが、政府側との調整で、「１兆円を相当上回る額」とのあいまいな表現で決着した。

Combined with the natural increase in social security costs, the government will need an additional 3 trillion yen or so. The government said this could be covered by a uniform 10 percent cut in policy-related spending for all ministries and agencies--including spending on education, defense and public works projects.
　特別枠に社会保障費の自然増を加えると、３兆円前後の原資が必要になる計算だ。その分は、教育費や防衛費、公共事業費など一般的な歳出を各府省が一律に１割削減して捻出(ねんしゅつ)する、としている。

However, the government likely will struggle to secure the revenue it needs, given that ministries and agencies have bristled at the across-the-board 10 percent cut plan, and manifesto-related budgets are to be handled separately.
　だが、ただでさえ各府省が１割削減に抵抗しているうえ、マニフェスト関連が例外では、目標の達成は容易ではあるまい。

The government used more than 10 trillion yen in nontax revenue, including surplus funds in special accounts, dubbed "buried treasure," for the fiscal 2010 budget. However, the buried treasure chest is almost empty. If nontax revenue drastically declines, the government may be forced to issue more government bonds than it did in the current fiscal year, rather than capping the issuance at 44 trillion yen as planned.
　１０年度予算では、埋蔵金を含む税外収入を１０兆円余り計上した。だが、埋蔵金は枯渇しつつある。税外収入が大幅に減る場合、国債の発行額は４４兆円以下どころか、増える可能性もある。

But this would make a mockery of Japan's international pledge to put state finances back on a sound footing. Securing revenue sources will be essential to reducing the budget deficit.
　それでは、財政健全化の国際公約に逆行する。赤字減らしには歳入の確保が肝要だ。

The fiscal 2011 budget compilation process is spelling out in black and white that the government must urgently tackle tax system reform--including an increase in the consumption tax rate.
消費税率の引き上げを含む税制改革に早急に取り組む必要があることを、１１年度予算の編成作業は教えている。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 28, 2010)
（2010年7月28日01時18分 読売新聞）