日本経済再生 危機を直視し改革を断行せよ

日本の社会保障制度は世界一かも知れませんね。
欧米ではペンションと呼ばれる仕組みがあるようですが、具体的な金額は全く知りません。
日本の夫婦満額月額40万円というのは、世界の中でも突出しているのではないでしょうか。
タイには老人に支払われるお金もありますが、小額でこれは無いに等しいのです。
ですが、タイの老人たちは結構その生活をエンジョイできています。
仏教の教えから来るものなのでしょうね。ある意味で、タイは老人天国なのかも知れません。
日本もお金、おかねばっかしだけじゃなくて、精神的なもの、生きる証みたいなものを追求したらどうでしょうか。
先行きの不透明な老齢年金よりも、大切なような気がします。
イモーショナルに過ぎました。(汗）　データ不足です。　m0m
（スラチャイ）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 12, 2012)
Govt must act resolutely on reforms to rebuild economy
日本経済再生　危機を直視し改革を断行せよ（1月11日付・読売社説）

The nation's economy, which had been coming back from the shock of the Great East Japan Earthquake, slowed down and came to a standstill last autumn.
　東日本大震災のショックから持ち直していた景気が減速し、昨年秋に足踏み状態になった。

"Structural fatigue" has now pushed the nation's fiscal and social security systems close to their limits, making it apparent they cannot be sustained without drastic reforms.
　財政や社会保障の“制度疲労”は、もはや限界に近く、抜本改革なしには持続できないことが明らかである。

The administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda must strive to accomplish an economic turnaround with the aim of rejuvenating the national economy.
　日本経済の再生に向けて、野田政権は成長の回復を図らねばならない。

It is important that the administration does not back away from pursuing reforms that will be painful to the people, such as fiscal reconstruction, and carries them out resolutely.
財政再建など国民に痛みを伴う改革からも逃げず、断固として実行することが肝要だ。

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Major causes for concern
　◆深刻な円高と電力不足◆

Major causes for concern about the economy are the unprecedented strength of the yen and the deterioration of economies abroad, particularly in Europe.
　懸念材料は、歴史的な超円高と、欧州を震源とした海外経済の悪化である。

The yen is hovering in the range between 75 yen and 80 yen to the dollar, and it also has gained strength against the euro, briefly rising to the range between 97 yen and 97.5 yen.
円相場は１ドル＝７０円台後半が定着し、対ユーロでも一時、９７円台前半に上昇した。

The nation's exports, which the economy relies heavily on, have declined, and industrial production has become sluggish.
　頼みの輸出が減少し、工業生産は減速した。

Business sentiment has withered, and investment in plants and equipment remains dangerously low.
企業心理が冷え、設備投資も低空飛行が続く。

It is necessary to keep on guard against a further relapse in the economy.
景気腰折れに警戒する必要がある。

The government and the Bank of Japan embarked on a yen-selling, dollar-buying market intervention single-handedly last October, but with limited effect.
　政府・日銀は昨年１０月、為替市場で円売り・ドル買いの単独介入に踏み切ったが、効果は限定的だった。

The slowdown in overseas economies is probably intensifying the pressure for the yen's further appreciation.
海外経済の減速が円高圧力を高めているのだろう。

The government and the central bank must expedite their efforts to correct the excessive rise of the yen, through flexible market intervention and additional monetary relaxation.
　政府・日銀は機動的な介入と追加金融緩和によって、円高の是正を急がねばならない。

It is important that they doggedly work on their counterparts in Europe and the United States to realize a concerted market intervention.
欧米当局との協調介入の実現に向け、粘り強く働きかけることが重要だ。

Attention should also be paid to the possibility that the yen's excessive rise could bring about the hollowing-out of the nation's industries.
　円高が産業空洞化を招く点にも注意を要する。

A survey taken by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry showed that if the present level of the yen's appreciation continues for another six months, about half of major manufacturers would shift plants and other facilities abroad.
経済産業省の調査では、現在の円高が半年続くと、大企業製造業の約半数が、工場などを海外移転すると答えた。

It is projected that 600,000 jobs will be lost at home if the hollowing-out of the Japanese auto industry progresses.
　自動車産業で空洞化が進行すると、国内雇用が６０万人も減少するという推計もある。

Meanwhile, manufacturers' smaller suppliers, who cannot afford to shift their production bases abroad, face the prospect of going out of business, if domestic production contracts.
　国内生産が縮小すれば、海外に出られない下請け企業は廃業の危機に瀕する。

The very foundation of manufacturing in Japan, which has been supported by a large number of small and midsize companies, must not be allowed to fall into ruin.
多くの中小企業が支える日本のモノ作りの土台を、崩壊させてはならない。

The electricity shortage is also exacerbating the industrial hollowing-out.
　電力不足も空洞化を助長する要因だ。

As a result of the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, other nuclear plants whose operations were suspended for regular checkups cannot resume operations.
Nearly 90 percent of the nation's 54 nuclear reactors are now idle.
東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故を受け、定期検査で止めた原発を再稼働できない中、全５４基の約９割が停止した。

There is a possibility that all the nuclear plants might be stopped by May. This would result in a loss of 30 percent of the nation's total power supply.
５月までに全原発が止まり、国内の電源の３割を失う恐れがある。

The government must get these nuclear plants running again by assuming full responsibility for confirming their safety and by winning the understanding of the relevant local governments.
　政府は、原発の安全性確認に責任を持ち、地元自治体の理解を得て、再稼働を実現させなければならない。

Securing a stable supply of electricity is key to the rejuvenation of the national economy.
電力の安定供給確保も日本経済再生のカギを握る。

===

Use TPP to tap foreign demand
　◆ＴＰＰで外需取り込め◆

Demand for goods and services created by the restoration efforts in areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is expected to support the economy.
　景気下支えで期待されるのが、震災の復興需要だ。

The Diet has already passed restoration-related budgets totaling 15 trillion yen.
すでに１５兆円の復興関連予算が成立した。

Restoration projects should proceed steadily, reconstructing living and production bases and improving the economy simultaneously in the disaster areas.
被災地の生活・生産基盤の復活と景気浮揚を同時に果たすため、事業を着実に実施してほしい。

However, dependence on restoration demand alone, which is only temporary, will not open a new vista for the economy.
　とはいえ、一時の復興特需に頼るだけでは展望は開けない。

The nation's working population, who are active consumers, numbers 80 million at present. However, that figure is expected to decrease to 70 million in 15 years and to 60 million in 25 years.
　消費が活発な現役世代の人口は現在、約８０００万人だが、１５年後は７０００万人、２５年後には６０００万人に減る見込みだ。

The nation's rapid population decline is certain to shrink domestic demand.
　人口減少の加速で、日本の内需縮小は避けられない。

To supplement it, Japan will need a strategy to tap into external demand in emerging economies in Asia and other regions where the economic growth is continuing.
成長が続くアジアなど新興国の外需を取り込む戦略が必須となる。

The first step in that direction is Japan's official participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade treaty. Prime Minister Noda announced last year that the nation would begin a consultation process with the United States and other countries to participate in negotiations on drafting the TPP pact.
　第一歩は、野田首相が交渉参加に向け、米国などと協議に入ると表明した環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）への正式参加だ。

The TPP is a framework to liberalize trade and investment among Asia-Pacific countries by abolishing tariffs. At present, nine countries including the United States, Australia and Singapore are negotiating to draft the TPP treaty.
　ＴＰＰは、アジア・太平洋の各国が関税を撤廃し、貿易や投資を自由化する枠組みで、米国とオーストラリア、シンガポールなど９か国が交渉している。

Japan will hurt its own national interests unless it immediately joins the negotiation process because otherwise it will lose the opportunity to have its opinions reflected in the TPP rules on trade liberalization and investment being discussed there.
　日本も早く加わらないと、貿易自由化や投資のルール作りに間に合わず、国益を損なう。

However, arguments against it are smoldering domestically.
　ところが、国内には異論がくすぶる。

In particular, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry and lawmakers with close ties to the farm sector claim Japan's participation in TPP would ruin its agricultural sector.
特に、農林水産省や農業関係議員は、ＴＰＰが日本農業を崩壊させると主張している。

However, we think the major causes of a crisis in Japan's agriculture are its low productivity and a shortage of people engaged in farming.
日本農業の危機は、低生産性や担い手不足が主因である。

The nation's agricultural industry could deal with liberalization of the farm products market if it makes itself competitive by consolidating farmland to boost productivity.
　農地の集約化を進めて生産性を高め、競争力のある産業に転換すれば、農産物の市場開放に対応できるだろう。

The TPP should be considered a catalyst for the revival of Japanese agriculture.
ＴＰＰを農業再生の起爆剤と考えるべきだ。

Meanwhile, the combined long-term debts of the central and local governments are set to reach 937 trillion yen at the end of fiscal 2012, a figure that is double the gross domestic product.
　国と地方の長期債務は２０１２年度末で９３７兆円と、国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）の約２倍に達する。

This is the worst fiscal condition in the world.
世界最悪の状況だ。

Nonetheless, the government keeps piling up huge deficits. Tax revenues are increasing at a sluggish pace due to the economic downturn while expenditures, particularly social security spending on medical care and pension programs, are ballooning.
　経済の低迷で税収が伸びないうえに、医療や年金など社会保障費を中心に歳出が膨らみ、巨額の財政赤字を垂れ流している。

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Take the tax bull by the horns
　◆消費税上げが必要だ◆

Members of the Japanese workforce are showing a stronger tendency to spend less and save more for fear that the nation's fiscal and social security system might collapse eventually.
　財政や社会保障制度がいずれ、破綻しかねないとの不安から、働く世代が消費を抑え、貯蓄を増やす傾向が強まっている。

The government must halt the vicious cycle in which anxiety about the future dampens consumer spending, resulting in low economic growth and reduced tax revenues.
　将来不安が消費を冷やし、低成長と税収減を招く悪循環を断ち切らねばならない。

However, lawmakers do not seem to be keenly aware of this pinch.
　しかし、政治の危機感は薄い。

Policy measures are still a mixture of the standstill and the rambling due to the divided Diet and populist pandering.
衆参ねじれ国会と大衆迎合（ポピュリズム）で、政策はいまだに停滞と迷走を繰り返している。

The only way to rehabilitate the nation's finances and social security system is to secure stable financial sources with a consumption tax rate increase.
　財政と社会保障を立て直すには消費税率を引き上げ、安定財源を確保するほかに道はない。

Regardless of whatever party is in power, this is a task that any government must accomplish.
これは与野党を問わず、政治が実現しなければならない課題である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 11, 2012)
（2012年1月11日01時11分 読売新聞）