概算要求 成長力強化へメリハリつけよ

>土地改良事業やコメ農家への交付金
衰退する農業には見切りをつけるほうがよい。後継者がいないのでは。

>医師会を支持母体とする与党の強い反発
これでは国民が主体なのか医師会が主体なのかわからない。
高齢者は１０％の優遇はあきらめるべし。

>要求額が３２兆円と歳出の３分の１に迫る社会保障費に、しっかりメスを入れられるかどうか
安倍首相は国防費を増やしたい意向ですが、減額して、その分を社会保障費にまわすべきです。
医療と年金ならば、医療の分野にメスを入れるべき。
年金減額はできないでしょう。

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Budget priority must be given to strengthening growth strategy
概算要求　成長力強化へメリハリつけよ

With the prospects of the world economy becoming increasingly uncertain, it is important to compile a budget for next fiscal year that will help accelerate the implementation of a growth strategy.
　世界経済の先行き懸念が高まる中、成長戦略の加速につながる予算とすることが重要だ。

Budgetary requests for fiscal 2016 are expected to exceed ¥102 trillion.
　２０１６年度予算の概算要求総額が、１０２兆円を上回る見通しとなった。

This will be the second straight year for such requests to exceed ¥100 trillion. As the government wants to rein in the growth of spending to about ¥1.6 trillion over the coming three years, it will be necessary to trim the budget by around ¥5 trillion.
　１００兆円超えは２年連続である。歳出の伸びを今後３年で計１・６兆円程度に抑えるとする政府目標を踏まえれば、５兆円規模の削減が必要となる。

How will it be possible to boost the national economy while eliminating wasteful spending? The Finance Ministry must clearly prioritize budgetary requests.
　無駄を排除しつつ、いかに日本経済を底上げするか。財務省は、メリハリを利かせた査定に努めねばならない。

It is important to ensure effective functioning of special quotas, which have been set for the third straight year to allot budgets for the implementation of policies given priority by the Abe administration.
　ポイントは、安倍政権の優先課題に予算を重点配分するため、３年連続で設けられた特別枠を、有効に機能させることである。

The ministry has curtailed the amount of budgetary requests for “discretionary spending,” including that for public works projects, by 10 percent from the fiscal 2015 budget. However, the ministry has approved ¥4 trillion in budgetary requests for projects related to the growth strategy, among others. Apparently, budgetary requests from other government offices have virtually reached their limit in this respect.
　公共事業などの「裁量的経費」の要求額を１５年度予算から１０％削減する一方で、成長戦略関連の予算などについて、計４兆円の要求を認めた。各府省から、ほぼ満額の要望が集まった模様だ。

These requests, however, include conventional ones for the construction of regional roads that have been filed on the pretext of dealing with depopulation and creating jobs. Budget allocations must be limited strictly to projects that meet the requirements of the special quotas.
　ただし、人口減対策や雇用創出を名目とした地方道路の建設といった、旧来型の要求も見られる。特別枠の趣旨に沿った事業に厳しく絞り込むべきだ。

Duplication of budget requests

There are a number of cases in which budgetary requests for similar projects have been made by two or more government offices.
　複数の府省から、類似の要求が出されるケースも少なくない。

For instance, both the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry included in their budgetary requests projects to enhance corporate competitiveness and promote industrial-academic-government cooperation by utilizing information and communications technology.
　例えば、経済産業省と総務省はどちらも、情報通信技術を活用した企業の競争力強化や産学官連携を推進する施策を盛り込んだ。

Many government offices are seeking budgetary allocations for such projects as regional vitalization and the promotion of active social participation by women. The Finance Ministry must work toward making adjustments to eliminate duplication of similar projects by government offices.
　地方創生や女性活躍などの分野でも、多くの府省が手を挙げた。財務省には、重複の解消を図る府省横断的な調整が求められる。

Of concern is that the pressure for expanded spending has been mounting within the ruling parties ahead of a House of Councillors election next summer.
　懸念されるのは、来夏の参院選を意識し、与党内で歳出拡大への圧力が強まっていることだ。

With an eye on concluding negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade framework, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry significantly increased budgetary requests for agricultural land improvement projects and subsidies for the families of rice farmers.
　環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉の妥結を視野に入れ、農林水産省は、土地改良事業やコメ農家への交付金に関する予算要求を大幅に増やした。

In response, the Liberal Democratic Party’s Agriculture and Forestry Division and other divisions have decided to seek an increase in budgetary allocations.
　これに呼応して、自民党の農林部会などは、予算増額を求めることを決議した。

To trim social security spending, the government will look into the possibility of lowering medical service fees to be paid to medical institutions until the end of the year. But strong opposition is expected from the LDP as doctors’ associations are among its list of supporting organizations.
　年末にかけて、社会保障費削減のため、医療機関に支払う診療報酬の引き下げが検討されるが、医師会を支持母体とする与党の強い反発が予想される。

An intensive reform period for the government’s fiscal soundness achievement plan will start in fiscal 2016. The government will be put to the test, in the first year of the period, over whether it will be able to cut into social security spending that has ballooned to ¥32 trillion, accounting for one-third of total spending.
　１６年度には、政府の財政健全化計画の集中改革期間がスタートする。その初年度から、要求額が３２兆円と歳出の３分の１に迫る社会保障費に、しっかりメスを入れられるかどうかが問われよう。

The national debt has swelled to more than ¥1 quadrillion, and debt-servicing costs for principal and interest repayment of government bonds are estimated to hit a record ¥26 trillion in fiscal 2016, a rise by 11 percent over the current fiscal year. It is imperative to keep a tight rein on fiscal spending.
　国の借金は１０００兆円超に膨らみ、元利返済にあてる国債費は前年度比１１％増の２６兆円と、過去最大になる見込みだ。歳出抑制のタガを緩めてはならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 1, 2015)