エコカー支援 補助金打ち切りは時期尚早だ

It's too early to end eco-car subsidies
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Aug. 1, 2010)
エコカー支援　補助金打ち切りは時期尚早だ（7月31日付・読売社説）

Why would an economic stimulus measure that has produced good results be discontinued?
　せっかく効果を上げている景気刺激策を、なぜやめるのか。

The government on Friday decided to end a subsidy program for people purchasing environmentally friendly, energy-efficient automobiles at the end of September as scheduled.
　政府は３０日、省エネ性能に優れたエコカーを購入する際に支給する補助金を、期限である９月末で打ち切ることを決めた。

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima said: "It [program] was implemented as a temporary and unusual measure. It will automatically end at the end of September."
　直嶋経済産業相は「臨時、異例の措置としてやってきた。自動的に９月末で終了することになる」と述べた。

But the pace of economic recovery has been slow recently. We consider now to be a bad time to lose a measure that helps prop up consumption. In business circles, too, there are strong calls for the continuation of the measure.
　しかし、最近は、景気回復の足取りがもたついている。消費の下支え策をなくすには、タイミングが悪いのではないか。経済界にも存続を求める声が強い。

Affordable assistance

Money to pay for this program could be found in the 1 trillion yen reserve funds included in this fiscal year's budget for measures to help the economy stay afloat. The government should reconsider its stance and continue to provide the so-called eco-car subsidies for the time being.
　経済危機対応のため今年度予算に盛り込まれた１兆円の予備費を使えば、財源の手当ては可能だ。政府は、補助金の支給を当面続けるよう、再考すべきである。

The subsidy program was first introduced by the administration of former Prime Minister Taro Aso as a temporary measure effective through the end of March this year. The following administration of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama extended it for another six months with an additional budget allocation.
　エコカー補助金は、麻生政権が今年３月末までの時限措置として導入した後、鳩山政権も予算を追加して６か月延長した。

The measure was favorably received by consumers, as they could receive up to 250,000 yen for a passenger car. Coupled with an eco-point system targeting energy-saving home appliances, the eco-car subsidies have significantly contributed to an expansion in consumption.
　乗用車で最大２５万円をもらえる内容が好評で、省エネ家電のエコポイントとともに、消費拡大に高い効果を上げてきた。

As a financial resource for the consumer-supporting measure, the government earmarked about 600 billion yen in a supplementary budget for fiscal 2009. This amount was enough to assist in the purchase of 4.5 million automobiles, and funds have been used or are set to be used for the actual purchase of 3 million cars.
　支援の財源として２００９年度の補正予算で約６０００億円が計上された。これで４５０万台分の購入支援が可能となり、すでに３００万台分の利用が決まった。

There is about 100 billion yen left in subsidy funds and two months left before the expiration of the measures. But the planned termination of the subsidy program has caused some consequences already.
　補助金は１０００億円ほど残っており、期限切れまで、まだ２か月あるが、影響はすでに出始めているようだ。

Buyers hitting brakes already

Purchasers will not be able to receive subsidies if they do not register their new cars by the end of September. With popular models, it often takes more than two months for purchasers to receive their cars after signing a purchase contract.
　新車登録が９月末に間に合わないと補助金の対象にならないが、人気車は契約から納車まで２か月以上かかることも珍しくない。

Some customers reportedly have given up on their car-buying plans after dealers told them that they might not be able to receive subsidies even if they made a purchase now.
　販売店の説明で、今すぐ買っても補助金がもらえない恐れがあると知り、購入をあきらめる客もいるという。

There is reason to worry that automobile sales will drop significantly with the completion of the subsidy program.
　今後、補助金制度の終了で、本格的に自動車の販売が落ち込むことが懸念される。

Germany introduced a new car purchase support system in January last year, and abolished the measure in September after using up its budget funds. New car sales then decreased by more than 20 percent from the period of the support system, and remain sluggish.
　昨年１月に新車購入支援制度を導入したドイツでは、９月に予算を使い果たして制度が廃止された。その後、新車の販売台数は、支援の実施中より２割以上も落ち込んだまま低迷が続いている。

Taking into account an anticipated decrease in sales, Toyota Motor Corp. plans to reduce domestic production by about 20 percent from October. If automakers, which constitute one of the nation's major industries, downshift their production, then industrial output as a whole, whose pace of recovery has already slowed, may cool down even further.
　終了後の販売減少を見込んで、トヨタ自動車は国内生産を、１０月から２割ほど減らす。主要産業の自動車が減産に動けば、回復のペースが落ちてきた工業生産が、さらに冷え込みかねない。

Although the nation is facing severe fiscal conditions, the termination of the subsidies would seriously affect the economy. Government officials should exercise their wisdom to find a way to continue the subsidy program while giving consideration to both state finances and the economy. For example, reducing the number of eligible models and the overall subsidy amount would be a possible scenario.
　財政は厳しいが、打ち切りは景気への副作用が大きい。対象車種を絞って支援規模を縮小するなど、財政と景気の両面に配慮しながら補助金を継続させる知恵を出してほしい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 31, 2010)
（2010年7月31日01時40分 読売新聞）