所得増税２５年―消費増税はできる

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 9
EDITORIAL: 25-year period for higher taxes is far too long
所得増税２５年―消費増税はできるのか

As part of the government's limited-time tax hike plans to finance post-Great East Japan Earthquake recovery efforts, the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito have agreed on 25 years as the period during which a higher income tax rate will remain in effect.
　東日本大震災の復興費用をまかなうための臨時増税のうち、所得増税の期間を２５年にすることで、民主と自民、公明の３党が合意した。

The government and the ruling DPJ initially eyed a 10-year limit.
　政府・民主党の当初案は１０年だったが、

But they extended the period to 15 years per New Komeito's proposal, and then added another 10 years at the LDP's insistence.
公明党の意見を受けて１５年になり、自民党の主張をいれてさらに１０年延びた。

The revenues from the higher taxes will underwrite post-disaster reconstruction bonds, which will be issued to secure funding for immediate reconstruction needs.
　臨時増税の税収は、復興資金をいち早く確保するために発行する復興債の返済にあてる。

Financially, Japan is among the worst-off nations in the developed world.
日本の財政は先進国の中でも最悪の水準だ。

Japan's outstanding debt is projected to top 1,000 trillion yen, which is more than double its gross domestic product.
国の借金残高は１千兆円を上回る見通しとなり、国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）の２倍を超す。

In that sense, the three parties have fulfilled their responsibility to some degree by securing tax revenues to finance reconstruction projects.
復興のための財源をあらかじめ確保したことは、一定の責任を果たしたと言える。

However, 25 years is far too long.
　ただ、２５年は長すぎる。

Even though stretching the period would lighten taxpayers' annual burden, we must point out that the purpose of the temporary tax hike was to avoid burdening the future generations.
　１年あたりの増税額を抑えるためだが、将来の世代に負担を先送りしないことが臨時増税の目的だったはずだ。

A quarter-century is obviously shorter than the redemption period of 60 years for construction bonds, but it is still long enough to affect people who aren't even born yet.
建設国債を６０年かけて返済しているのと比べれば短いとはいえ、これから生まれてくる世代にも負担増が及ぶ長さである。

One thing that bothers us is the attitude of the ruling and opposition parties alike toward the proposed tax hike. 　心配なのは、増税に対する与野党の姿勢だ。

From their exchanges, we sensed their strong reluctance to make any decision that would demand sacrifices from taxpayers.
一連のやりとりから浮かび上がるのは、国民に負担増を求める決断から逃げたい、という姿勢である。

This past summer, the government and the ruling DPJ came up with plans to implement the integrated reform of the social security and taxation systems.
　政府・与党はこの夏に決めた「社会保障と税の一体改革」で消費税収を社会保障にあてることにし、

Under the plans, consumption tax revenues were earmarked for social security payments, and the consumption tax rate was to be gradually raised to 10 percent by the middle of this decade.
２０１０年代半ばまでに消費税率を段階的に１０％へ引き上げる方針を決めた。

The government and the DPJ intend to present the bill to the Diet during the regular session next year, and will decide on the timing and size of each tax increase by the end of this year.
来年の通常国会に法案を出す予定で、今年末までに増税の時期や幅などを決める段取りだ。

However, there is considerable opposition to the proposed tax hike within the DPJ itself.
　ところが、民主党内では依然として反対が根強い。

Many DPJ legislators are relative newcomers to politics, and we presume they are worried that supporting the consumption tax hike may cost them the next election.
当選回数が少ない議員が多く、次の選挙への影響が心配なのだろう。

The biggest drain on the national coffers is the growing social security outlay due to the aging of the population. 　国の財政を圧迫している最大の原因は、高齢化に伴う社会保障費の増加だ。

Unlike the construction of roads and bridges that can be funded with construction bond revenues, social security payments must be made for the present generation.
社会保障費は、建設国債の対象となる道路や橋などとは違い、まさに今の世代のために使われる。

It is simply not right to keep running up debts and stick the tab to the future generations.
それを借金でまかない、将来の世代につけ回してはいけない。

In fact, we have gone too far already, and the debt crisis of Europe is no longer someone else's problem.
先送りはもう限界だ。欧州の財政危機は対岸の火事ではない。

We also must remind the opposition LDP and New Komeito that when the income tax law was revised in 2009, they were the ones who authored the supplementary provision that says, "In order to radically reform the tax system, including the consumption tax, necessary legislative steps must be taken by fiscal 2011."
　自公両党にも注文がある。
　０９年に改正された所得税法の付則には「消費税を含む税制の抜本的改革を行うため、１１年度までに必要な法制上の措置を講じる」との規定がある。決めたのは自公政権だ。

Moreover, the LDP pledged to "set the consumption tax rate at 10 percent for the time being and appropriate the entire tax revenues to social security needs" during the Upper House election campaign last year.
　さらに自民党は、昨年の参院選での公約に「消費税は当面１０％とし、全額を社会保障費に充当する財源とします」と掲げていた。

We certainly cannot let the LDP forget this.
忘れてもらっては困る。

Both the ruling and opposition parties must face the fact that avoiding tax hike talks is no way to stop the nation's fiscal problems from spinning out of control.
　財政の悪化に歯止めをかけるには、増税から逃げてはいけない。与野党ともこのことを自覚してほしい。