読売緊急提言 新首相の下で復興体制確立を

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Aug. 12, 2011)
Next administration must show clear path to reconstruction
読売緊急提言　新首相の下で復興体制確立を（8月11日付・読売社説）

　◆財源は消費税率引き上げを柱に◆

As of Thursday, it has been five months since the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, but reconstruction of disaster-hit areas has been greatly delayed from the government's initial schedule.
　東日本大震災の発生から５か月たつのに、復興が大幅に遅れている。

Disposal of the massive amount of debris in the areas has not progressed smoothly, while many disaster survivors are still forced to live in evacuation centers.
被災地では大量のがれき処理が進まず、多数の被災者はいまだに避難所生活を余儀なくされている。

There is also political turmoil as a result of Prime Minister Naoto Kan's irresponsible extemporaneous remarks and ad hoc responses to various issues.
　菅首相の思いつき発言と場当たり的な対応で、政治の混迷が続く。

There are even fears the Japanese economy will lose momentum due to upsets in financial markets, such as the hyper-appreciation of the yen and global plunges in stock prices.
超円高や世界的な株安などの市場の混乱により、日本の景気の腰折れすら懸念される。

At this juncture, we have no time to lose in drastically changing the current political framework.
　政治体制の刷新に、もはや一刻の猶予も許されない。

The Yomiuri Shimbun has compiled a set of emergency proposals concerning reconstruction from the great earthquake.
　読売新聞社は、震災復興に関する緊急提言をまとめた。

The central and local governments should unite to accelerate efforts to reconstruct the quake- and tsunami-hit areas and rebuild the lives of people in those areas as early as possible.
　国と地方が一体となって復興作業を加速し、被災地の暮らしを一日も早く再建させたい。

It is also an urgent task to decontaminate areas tainted by radiation around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.
福島第一原子力発電所の周辺の放射能除染作業も急務だ。

Japan must overcome the great earthquake and the nuclear crisis and realize a strong economic recovery.
大震災と原発事故を克服し、力強い景気回復を実現しなければならない。

What is really necessary is to restore political leadership in the nation.
　何よりも必要なのは政治のリーダーシップを取り戻すことだ。

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Chose new DPJ head quickly
　◆代表選の論戦が重要だ◆

The prime minister, who announced his intention to resign in early June, still clings to the post, inviting serious paralysis in domestic and foreign policy. He must resign immediately.
　６月初めに退陣表明したはずの首相が居座り、内政・外交の著しい停滞を招いている。即刻、退陣すべきである。

We would like the Democratic Party of Japan to swiftly elect Kan's successor as party president.
　民主党は、速やかに新代表を選出してもらいたい。

The new DPJ president should not endlessly adhere to the party's unpopular election manifesto, which has already proved unworkable.
　新代表は、破綻した政権公約（マニフェスト）にいつまでも固執することがあってはならない。

The new DPJ head should be strongly determined to bid farewell to the failed attempt to implement "government led by politicians" and able to effectively handle and make good use of bureaucrats and their expertise.
誤った「政治主導」に決別する意思と、官僚機構を使いこなす能力が求められる。

It is also indispensable for the new DPJ leader to put a premium on consultations between the ruling and opposition parties.
与野党協議を重視する姿勢も不可欠である。

Under the currently divided Diet, in which the ruling parties hold a majority in the House of Representatives and opposition parties have a majority in the House of Councillors, it is important for both blocs to cooperate in deliberating on and enacting bills.
　衆参ねじれ国会では、与野党が法案の審議や成立に協力することが大事だ。

The new administration will have several options to swiftly carry out effective policy measures, including a grand coalition and cooperation from parties not represented in the cabinet.
有効な政策を迅速に遂行するためにも、新政権では大連立、閣外協力などの選択肢が考えられる。

The ruling and opposition parties need to put aside their political tug-of-war for about one year to seriously face the current national crisis.
与野党は最低１年間程度は政局の駆け引きから離れ、国難に立ち向かう必要がある。

According to the government's basic reconstruction policy, the first five years will be a period of intense reconstruction that will require revenues of at least 19 trillion yen.
　政府の復興基本方針は、今後５年間を復興の集中期間とし、最低１９兆円の財源が必要と指摘した。

Of this amount, 13 trillion yen--not including money necessary for the first and second supplementary budgets for the current fiscal year--should be financed through means including the issuance of reconstruction bonds, spending cuts and non-tax revenue, the policy says.
今年度第１、２次補正予算分を除いた１３兆円の財源について、復興債の発行や歳出削減、税外収入で賄うとしている。

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Discuss tax increase
　◆増税論議を与野党で◆

Considering the nation's severe fiscal circumstances, the issuance of reconstruction bonds is unavoidable.
　厳しい財政事情を考えると、復興債発行はやむを得ない。

The problem is how to secure revenues to redeem the government bonds.
問題はその復興債の償還財源をどのように確保するかである。

The government seems to be thinking about raising such key taxes as income, corporate and consumption taxes. 　政府は、所得税、法人税、消費税の「基幹税」の増税を考えているようだ。

It must not leave debts to future generations, but should finance the redemption of the reconstruction bonds through stable revenue sources.
借金を将来につけ回しせず、復興債の償還を安定財源で賄うべきだ。

In this regard, we think it is most appropriate to make an increase in the consumption tax rate a major pillar of the tax hikes, because a wide variety of consumers can share the burden.
広く負担を分かち合える消費税の増税を柱とするのが妥当といえよう。

The plan for integrated reform of the tax and social security systems--which the government and ruling parties adopted in June--proposed that consumption tax revenue be used exclusively for social security purposes and the tax rate be raised to 10 percent by the middle of the 2010s.
　政府・与党が６月に決めた社会保障と税の一体改革案は、消費税を社会保障財源として位置づけ、「２０１０年代半ばまでに１０％に引き上げる」と明記した。

It is reasonable to use the consumption tax revenue for social security purposes, in response to a graying society with a chronically low birthrate.
少子高齢化に対応し、消費税収を社会保障財源に充てるのは当然だ。

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Raise consumption tax to 8%

Now that the nation is in a state of emergency, it may be advisable for the consumption tax rate to be raised by about 3 percentage points, starting in fiscal 2013, and for a considerable part of the increased revenue to be used for the redemption of the post-disaster reconstruction bonds.
　非常時だからこそ、１３年度から消費税率を３％前後引き上げ、当面は増収分の相当部分を復興債の償還に使ってはどうか。

A one percentage point hike in the consumption tax would be expected to increase tax revenue by 2.5 trillion yen.
消費税率１％の引き上げで２・５兆円の増収が見込まれる。

The ruling and opposition parties should begin talks soon on the process of raising the tax rate and on the use of the increased revenue.
　税率引き上げの道筋や増収分の扱いについて、与野党で早急に協議を始めるべきだ。

In connection with the issuance of post-disaster reconstruction bonds, the utilization of "buried treasure," idle funds held by individual households, is also promising.
　復興債の発行に関連し、家計に眠る埋蔵金の活用も有望だ。

It may be advisable for the government to draw out this sleeping private capital by issuing a no-interest, nontaxable government bond that is exempt from inheritance tax, and utilize it for reconstruction efforts.
利子がつかない代わりに相続税が免除される「無利子非課税国債」を発行して家計の資金を引き出し、復興に活用したい。

Although the Japanese economy is picking up, there are worrisome factors, namely insufficient electricity and the rapid appreciation of the yen.
　日本の景気は持ち直してきたが、懸念材料は、電力不足と急激な円高進行である。

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Prevent power crisis from expanding
　◆電力危機の拡大を防げ◆

In the aftermath of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima plant, operations cannot be resumed at nuclear power plants that have completed regular inspections.
　原発事故後、定期検査を終えた各地の原発の運転が再開できない状況が続く。

Operations at other nuclear power plants also are to be suspended for their regular inspections by next spring.
残る原発も来春までに検査で停止する。

A devastating power shortage is becoming more of a real possibility.
電力危機が現実味を帯びてきた。

Many companies are shifting their production bases abroad to avoid the risks stemming from the power shortage and the rapid rise of the yen.
If this trend accelerates, the nation's industries will be hollowed out.
　電力不足と超円高のリスクを回避するため、多くの企業が工場を海外に移転する動きを加速させると国内産業は空洞化する。

This could undermine the foundation of the national economy.
日本経済の土台が揺らぎかねない。

To prevent such economic decay, the government should first ensure the safety of nuclear power plants and have operations resume at verified plants one by one, with the central government taking responsibility.
　そうした衰退を防ぐには、まず原発の安全性を確認したうえで、国の責任で原発を順次、再稼働させていくべきである。

It is right for the government to pursue as an ultimate goal the promotion of such natural energies as solar, wind and geothermal power.
But we cannot count on their becoming major power sources anytime soon.
　太陽光、風力、地熱などの自然エネルギーの普及を目指す方向は正しいが、直ちに主要な電力源になることは期待できない。

The government should pursue the best and most realistic energy policy, while utilizing nuclear power.
政府は原子力を活用しながら、現実的で最善のエネルギー政策を追求しなければならない。

The realization of full-fledged economic expansion will boost post-disaster reconstruction and expand support to disaster-stricken areas.
　本格的な景気拡大の実現が、震災復興に弾みをつけ、被災地の支援を充実させる。

The government and the Bank of Japan must do their utmost to prevent the too-rapid appreciation of the yen, which would have an adverse impact on the economy.
政府・日銀は、景気に悪影響を与える超円高の阻止に全力を挙げるべきだ。

It is also desirable to reinforce the growth strategy of drawing on the vitality of foreign economies, through cooperation between the public and private sectors.
　官民連携で海外の活力を取り込む成長戦略も強化したい。

Japan must also quickly rebuild its export system, including such social infrastructure as the high-speed Shinkansen railway system and nuclear power plants for emerging economies, and participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.
新興国向けの新幹線や原発などのインフラ輸出体制を立て直し、環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）への参加を急ぐことも求められよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 11, 2011)
（2011年8月11日03時04分 読売新聞）