消費税引き上げ 国際公約実現へ与野党協議を

＞首相は法案成立後、税率引き上げの実施前に国民の信を問う意向も既に明らかにしている。
法案成立後では手遅れで意味がない、法案成立前に国民の信を問うて欲しいものだ。
（スラチャイ）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 9, 2011)
Intl promise to raise consumption tax rate must be kept
消費税引き上げ　国際公約実現へ与野党協議を（11月8日付・読売社説）

The political turmoil in Greece, which has plunged into a fiscal crisis, should be an important lesson for Japan. 　財政危機に陥ったギリシャの政治的混迷を他山の石とすべきだろう。

The ruling and opposition parties must swiftly rehabilitate this country's fiscal situation.
与野党は、日本の財政再建を急がねばならない。

At a recent House of Representatives session, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the action plan adopted at last week's Group of 20 summit meeting specifies that Japan would increase the consumption tax rate as part of comprehensive reform of the social security system. Noda said he would make every effort to make this tax increase a reality.
　野田首相は衆院本会議で、社会保障制度改革に伴う消費税率引き上げを主要２０か国・地域（Ｇ２０）首脳会議の行動計画に明記したと説明し、実現へ全力を尽くすと語った。

Every member of the Diet must gravely accept the fact that the prime minister has made an international pledge to implement "the gradual increase in the consumption tax rate to 10 percent by the middle of this decade."
　首相が「２０１０年代半ばまでに消費税率を１０％まで引き上げる」と国際公約したことを、国会は重く受け止める必要がある。

Noda also said he wants to decide when to implement the tax increase by taking into consideration discussions within the government and ruling parties, as well as discussions between ruling and opposition parties.
　首相は、税率引き上げ時期は政府・与党の議論や与野党協議を踏まえて決定したいとも述べた。

===

Worse than Greece

The government plans to submit necessary bills to raise the consumption tax rate to an ordinary Diet session early next year.
　政府は、税率引き上げの関連法案を来年の通常国会に提出する方針だ。

Noda has made clear he might dissolve the lower house after the bills have cleared the Diet but before the hike is implemented to seek a voter mandate.
首相は法案成立後、税率引き上げの実施前に国民の信を問う意向も既に明らかにしている。

Japan's total outstanding public debt is expected to reach twice the gross domestic product at the end of the current fiscal year.
　今年度末の日本の公的債務残高は国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）比で２倍近くに達する。

This rate is worse than Greece's.
数字上はギリシャより悪い。

If this situation is left uncorrected, financial markets could lose confidence in Japanese government bonds.
放置すると日本の国債が市場の信認を失いかねない。

We think the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito should immediately start three-way discussions on the matter.
　民主、自民、公明による３党協議を早急に開始すべきである。

However, LDP and Komeito have bristled at Noda's international pledge.
　しかし、自公両党は首相の国際公約に反発している。

They argue the DPJ manifesto for the 2009 lower house election, when the DPJ stormed to power, did not mention a consumption tax rate increase.
They plan to demand the lower house be dissolved before the bills are submitted to the Diet.
民主党の政権公約（マニフェスト）が消費税率引き上げを前提にしていないと指摘し、関連法案の国会提出前の衆院解散を求める構えだ。

Indeed, the DPJ manifesto is riddled with defects.
It claimed sufficient revenue sources for its pledges could be found without raising the consumption tax rate, but in fact the party has been unable to unearth enough money.
　確かに、消費税率を上げなくても財源を生み出せるとした民主党のマニフェストには欠陥がある。

Noda himself admitted the manifesto was flawed.
それは野田首相も認めている。

However, the opposition parties are also at fault if they argue the lower house must be dissolved simply because the manifesto does not describe a consumption tax hike.
This means they will not allow the DPJ to respond flexibly on this issue.
　マニフェストを盾にとり、消費税の記述がない以上、衆院を解散すべきだと主張するのでは、与党に機動的な対応を取らせないと言うに等しい。

This is nothing but "manifesto supremacism."
これでは“マニフェスト至上主義”ではないか。

===

LDP, Komeito laid foundation

Regarding the consumption tax rate, a supplementary provision of the tax system reform law enacted in 2009 under the administration of then Prime Minister Taro Aso stipulated that necessary legislative measures will be taken to secure revenue sources by the end of fiscal 2011.
　消費税率については、０９年に麻生政権で成立した税制改正関連法の付則に、財源確保のため、１１年度までに必要な法制上の措置を講ずる、と明記されている。

It was the LDP and Komeito that paved the road to the consumption tax hike.
税率引き上げのレールを敷いたのは本来、自公両党の方である。

When the three parties agreed in late April to review the DPJ's child-rearing allowance system, they decided the government and ruling parties would swiftly devise a plan for integrated reform of the social security and tax systems.
　民自公３党は４月末、子ども手当の見直しで合意した際、社会保障・税一体改革でも「政府・与党は実行可能な案を速やかに示す」ことを申し合わせた。

Based on this agreement, the government and the DPJ compiled a set of proposals at the end of June.
そんな経緯もあって、政府・与党は、６月末に案をまとめたのだ。

Furthermore, the DPJ has made considerable concessions to LDP plans on the consumption tax rate and pension system reform.
　しかも、消費税率、年金制度改革などで自民党案に歩み寄っている。

It is unreasonable for the LDP and Komeito not to respond to calls by the DPJ for discussions.
自公両党が、与党との協議に応じないのは、筋が通らない。

Deliberations at the lower house Budget Committee have already started.
　衆院予算委員会の審議が始まった。

We hope the ruling and opposition parties hold constructive debate on the consumption tax increase, and on tax hikes as revenue sources for funding reconstruction from the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
震災復興増税の財源確保問題と併せて、消費税についても、建設的な論戦を期待したい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 8, 2011)
（2011年11月8日01時32分 読売新聞）