社会保障改革 具体的な与党案を早急に示せ

Social security reform proposals needed quickly
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 7, 2011)
社会保障改革　具体的な与党案を早急に示せ（2月6日付・読売社説）


The government and the ruling coalition parties on Saturday launched a new panel of experts chaired by Prime Minister Naoto Kan to discuss social security reform.
　政府・与党は５日、菅首相を議長とする「社会保障改革に関する集中検討会議」をスタートさせた。

We will wait and see how detailed a picture the panel can paint of the future of the nation's social security system.
　社会保障制度の将来像を、どこまで具体的に描き出せるか。

The de facto leader of the panel is the assistant to the chairman, Kaoru Yosano, state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy.
　議長補佐として検討会議を主導するのは与謝野経済財政相だ。

Members include University of Tokyo Prof. Hiroshi Yoshikawa, who headed the National Council on Social Security under former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda; and supreme adviser to Dentsu Inc. Yutaka Narita, who chaired a panel to discuss ways to realize a secure society under former Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Also participating are other experts who compiled policy proposals under the coalition government of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito. Yosano is said to have selected the panel members personally.
　メンバーには、福田内閣で社会保障国民会議の座長を務めた吉川洋・東大教授、麻生内閣で安心社会実現会議の座長だった成田豊・電通名誉相談役ら、自公政権で政策提言を担った識者が何人も加わった。与謝野氏の人選という。

Some members of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan have complained that the panel lineup does not reflect the change in government.
　民主党内には、「これでは政権交代した意味がない」との批判もあるようだ。

However, we think such critics are small-minded. Social security policy, like foreign and security policy, is an important matter related to the foundation of the country. It is not an issue to be disputed between ruling and opposition parties.
　だが、こうした見方は狭量である。社会保障政策は、外交・安全保障と同様、国の根幹にかかわる重要な政策だ。与野党が対立する問題ではない。

The public would feel insecure if policy that determines the course of the nation's future is changed drastically with a change of government.
将来を方向づける政策が政権交代で大きく変わるようでは、国民は安心できない。

Therefore it is no wonder the new panel includes experts consulted by the LDP-New Komeito coalition.
　その意味で、自公政権と同じ顔ぶれでも不思議ではなかろう。

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Valuable past suggestions

Substantial reports were compiled by both the National Council on Social Security and the panel to discuss ways to realize a secure society.
　国民会議と安心会議は、いずれも、かなり中身の濃い報告書をまとめている。

The national council studied a comprehensive vision of possible measures to deal with issues related to public pensions, medical and nursing care, and the low birthrate. It proposed some options, along with the figures regarding the additional funds needed to realize them.
　国民会議は、年金・医療・介護・少子化対策をトータルで見た将来見通しを検討し、いくつかの選択肢を必要な追加負担額と共に示した。

The council estimated that the additional funds that would be needed in fiscal 2015 would be equivalent to the revenues that could be earned from consumption tax rates ranging from 3 to 11 percent.
２０１５年度に確保すべき新たな財源は消費税率で３～１１％分になる、と試算している。

The panel to discuss ways to realize a secure society proposed spending consumption tax revenue only for social security purposes. It also said the money should be put into a newly created social security account and managed separately from other taxes, to spotlight a secure system that would return to the public benefits commensurate with the taxes they would pay.
　安心会議は、消費税を社会保障目的税とし、新設する「社会保障勘定」に入れて他の税とは管理を別にすることで、負担した税が確実に国民に還元される仕組みを明確にするよう提言している。

It is significant that the former chairmen of the two government panels have joined the new one--this means the new panel will carry over all the estimates and proposals made by its predecessors. The new panel should quickly draft a reform plan based on the discussions of the two earlier groups.
　二つの会議の座長が今回の検討会議に加わる意味は大きい。両会議の試算や提言をすべて引き継ぐということだろう。積み上げた議論を生かし、早急に改革原案をとりまとめるべきだ。

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Reconsider unrealistic idea

Based on that reform proposal, the prime minister has said he will present a basic policy on public pension and other social security issues by April and a comprehensive picture of integrated reforms of the social security and tax systems by June.
　菅首相はそれをもとに、年金など社会保障の基本方針を４月までに、税制を含む一体改革の全体像を６月までに示すとしている。

It is essential not only to clarify how much and when the consumption tax rate would be raised but also to reconsider the unrealistic proposal by the DPJ to integrate the public pension systems and the provision of child-rearing allowances.
　消費税率の具体的な引き上げ幅と実施時期を明示することはもちろん、民主党が掲げてきた現実味のない年金一元化構想や、子ども手当の再検討も不可欠だ。

There is deep-rooted antagonism in the DPJ toward Yosano, a defector from the minor opposition Sunrise Party of Japan. This aversion was heightened by Yosano's appointment to the new panel of Hakuo Yanagisawa, who served as health, labor and welfare minister under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
　民主党内には与謝野氏への反感が根強くある。検討会議に柳沢伯夫・元厚生労働相が加わったことも反発に拍車をかけている。

Given the seriousness of the government's fiscal crisis, however, the social security system must be reviewed immediately, without delay. We cannot tolerate emotional confrontations that delay or distort discussions on the social security reform.
　だが、財政危機の深刻さを考えれば、社会保障制度の見直しは待ったなしだ。感情的対立で社会保障改革の議論を遅らせたり、ゆがめたりしてはならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 6, 2011)
（2011年2月6日00時45分 読売新聞）