A concrete idea of Pension Record Book

My opinion of this week(529):

The election of House of Representative will be made soon in July.　Liberal Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Japan announced their　manifestoes for coming election and are now preparing to win the election　based on their manifestoes.

Manifesto did play much importance in the general election of last　fall due to former Prime Minister Koizumi's poor election style in which only privatization of post office became a key issue for the　election.

Pension plan was one very important issues as well to be debated in　the last election but the issue was not discussed so much due to Koizumi's election tactics. That was very unfortunate thing about Japanese　politics and for Japanese people.

Several serious problems on recording system of pension plan have been　disclosed recently. More than 50 million pension records are missing　at the office of Social Insurance Agency. Several other serious problems have been disclosed one after another and the basic revision　of pension plan and their management system become one most important　issue for coming election.

Tow major parties are now asked to present their manifestoes on this　issue in some what concrete way. Any general and abstract approach on pension issues will not be accepted by people at this time.

Since pension recording issues were disclosed, the reaction and　counter measures Abe Cabinet and ruling parties took were not necessarily quite appropriate. They said they would question the　responsibility of successive ministers of Welfare Ministry in the　past including Naoto Kan, deputy president of Democratic Party of
Japan. They also criticized workers' morale and working style in　the Agency insisting that is another background for such poor office　management in the Agency.

Without talking much about the responsibility of poor management,they　blamed public labor union exists in the Agency. All ruling front tried to do is to transfer their administrative and management responsibility to someone else such as successive ministers of　Welfare Ministry and labor union in the Agency. It doesn't make sense.

Abe Cabinet and ruling front submitted the bill to dissolve the Social　Insurance Agency suggesting to make a new privatized organization.　Opposition fronts including Democratic Party of Japan opposed the bill　insisting that that will not solve any basic recording problems. Majority of people of Japan seem to think the same way according to　the recent public vote. They are looking for some good and concrete answer for this complicated and serious issues.

The creation of Pension Record Book replacing the present Pension Book　suggested by DPJ in manifesto seems to be a good concrete answer in this respect. The new book for all participants of pension plan　records all payment records of insurance fees and all receiving records　of pension later on. It is something like deposit book people have for　bank accounts.

I believe this is really a good idea to be introduced to avoid any　further confusion in the future. In along with the introduction of　such pension management system, it is absolutely necessary to revise　the present pension scheme basically.

It is requested that the total grand design concerning pension plan　is argued thoroughly in the coming election in July. This may be last chance for this country to make a good pension plan in the long　run.

2007/6/16
Tadashi HAYASE