独法改革 見せかけの取り組みでは困る

カラオケ、過労死、あまくだり・・・　そのまま米国で通用します＾＾。
日本語から英語へと進化した単語はかなりあると思います。
ハワイ事務所のセクレタリー（２名の女性たち）は、過労死を殺しと混同して発音していました。
日本には殺しが多いそうですね？って聞かれたときに、なんだこれはと思いましたが、よく説明を聞いたら、これは過労死のことだったのです＾＾。
悪乗りして、腹上死（ふくじょうし）って知ってるかって聞いたら、聞いたことがないと申しておりました＾＾。
楽しかったです。ハワイの勤務＾＾。
（スラチャイ）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Jan. 16, 2012)
Going through the motions not enough for reform
独法改革　見せかけの取り組みでは困る（1月15日付・読売社説）

It is vital when reforming independent administrative institutions to achieve tangible results, such as spending cuts.
　独立行政法人の改革は歳出削減などの具体的な成果を上げることが肝要だ。

The government must not allow reform to simply change such organizations' names.
看板の掛け替えに終わらせてはならない。

In this regard, newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Katsuya Okada, who will concurrently serve as state minister in charge of administrative reform, bears a heavy responsibility.
行政改革を担当する岡田副総理の役割は重い。

The Government Revitalization Unit will compile a plan to reorganize independent administrative institutions as early as by the end of this month.
　政府の行政刷新会議が月内にも独法の組織再編案をまとめる。

Of the 102 such bodies, there are plans to abolish three, including the Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition '70, and to privatize the organization for environment improvement around international airports and one other body.
原案では、１０２法人のうち、日本万国博覧会記念機構など３法人は廃止、空港周辺整備機構など２法人は民間に移管する。

Other independent administrative institutions will be transformed into public corporations focused on achieving revenue and performance goals, or public corporations aimed at enhancing cooperation with central government projects.
　その他の法人は２０１３年度末に、収益や業績の達成を重視する「成果目標達成法人」か、国の事業との連携を強める「行政執行法人」に移行させる。

Moreover, the government reportedly will consider integrating some of the first type of corporation after classifying them into eight subcategories, such as those working with universities and those engaging in financial operations.
　成果目標達成法人は、大学連携型、金融業務型など８類型に分類し組織統合を検討するという。

But it will be unsatisfactory if only five independent administrative institutions are abolished or privatized.
　廃止・民間移管が計５法人では物足りない。

Even if many are transformed into new types of public corporations, it will effectively constitute just a change of name if they continue to exist as organizations.
新たな種類の法人に移行しても組織が存続するのでは看板の掛け替えにすぎない。

Reorganizational efforts will be meaningful only if the government drastically reduces the number of such public agencies and slashes overall government spending.
法人数を大幅に減らし、経費削減を実現してこそ、意味がある。

===

Structural review insufficient

Reviewing their organizational structures will not be enough to reform independent administrative institutions.
　独法改革は、組織形態の見直しだけでは不十分だ。

In addition to downsizing individual agencies' businesses and making them more efficient prior to transferring such organizations to the control of local governments and the private sector, it also will be necessary to sever the cozy ties between these agencies and the government bodies that have jurisdiction over them.
Such ties have developed through the provision of subsidies and the practice of amakudari, under which bureaucrats take lucrative jobs in related organizations after their retirement.
各法人の個別事業を縮減・効率化し、地方や民間に移管することに加え、天下りと補助金による所管府省との癒着にもメスを入れる必要がある。

If the government embarks on the reform of large-scale independent administrative institutions, such as the Urban Renaissance Agency and the Japan Housing Finance Agency, it will help the government substantially cut its spending.
　都市再生機構、住宅金融支援機構など大型の独法の改革に切り込めば、政府支出の実質的な削減につながるだろう。

On the other hand, it is dangerous to make decisions that put too much weight on short-term cost performance in fields linked with national strategy, such as research and development in science and technology, and cultural promotion.
　一方で、科学技術の研究開発や文化振興など国家戦略にかかわる分野で、短期的な費用対効果に偏った結論を出すのは危険だ。

The government must consider how to carry out reforms from mid- and long-term perspectives, without insisting too much on "visible results."
「目に見える成果」にばかり固執せず、中長期的な視点から改革を検討することが欠かせない。

In its manifesto pledges for the 2009 House of Representatives election, the Democratic Party of Japan called for a comprehensive review of independent administrative institutions, including their total abolishment.
　民主党は０９年衆院選の政権公約（マニフェスト）で、独法について「全廃を含めて抜本的な見直し」を掲げた。

The party clearly stated in the manifesto that it would be possible to slash 6.1 trillion yen in annual government spending by reviewing independent administrative institutions, public-interest corporations and subsidies.
独法や公益法人、補助金の見直しで年６・１兆円の節約が可能とも明記した。

===

Minimal effort so far

However, an April 2010 session of the government panel tasked with reviewing wasteful government spending has been almost the only occasion when the DPJ-led government tackled the reform of independent administrative institutions.
　ところが、実際に独法改革に取り組んだのは、１０年４月の事業仕分けくらいだった。

We regret to say there is a wide gap between the promise made in the manifesto and the latest draft reform plan.
公約と今回の改革原案との開きは大きい。

At the end of last year, the DPJ set up a research committee on administrative reform, spurred by the need to broaden public understanding of the proposed consumption tax hike.
　民主党が昨年末、行政改革調査会を設置したのは、消費税率引き上げへの国民の理解を広げる必要性に迫られたためだ。

But the move was a hastily devised countermeasure.
文字通り「泥縄の対応」と言える。

What is needed now is not a token effort, but a determined and continuous undertaking.
見せかけでなく、腰を据えた、継続的な取り組みが求められる。

It is a matter of course for the government and the DPJ to thoroughly carry out administrative reform, including that of independent administrative institutions, as a prerequisite to the integrated reform of social security and tax systems.
　社会保障と税の一体改革の前提として、独法を含む行政改革を徹底するのは当然だ。

Given the country's critical fiscal condition, insufficient administrative reform cannot be used as an excuse to postpone the tax hike.
ただ、危機的な財政状況を踏まえれば、「行革が不十分」を言い訳にした増税の先送りは許されない。

Efforts to realize the tax hike and administrative reform must be made simultaneously.
増税と行革を両立させねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 15, 2012)
（2012年1月15日01時16分 読売新聞）