Fundamental reform is necessary for the present pension system

My opinion of this week(534):

The election of House of Councils has started on Thursday. I am quite anxious to watch TVs and read newspapers on various issues. The biggest concerns of people concentrated on pension system which is ignited by incorrect recording problem at Social Insurance Agency. Prime Minister Abe repeated to say that all people who paid insurance fee will be guaranteed to get pension money. People seem to take it very funny. Why not? People take it for granted because the Government is fully
responsible for it at any rate.

People are now more concerned with the basic pension system itself rather than recording issues. Prime Minister Abe and ruling parties started criticizing new pension system proposed by Democratic Party of Japan. They said there exists no fund which is able to pay basic pension money to all low income people. Ruling fronts criticize that such pension plan is quite unrealistic.

Ozawa Ichirou, President of DPJ answered to such criticism saying they can create such fund by making fundamental change of administrative system of central and local governments. Such debate itself still involves a number of ambiguous points. But I
think it fine that such debate is being done in various way under this ircumstances. Most people of Japan now feel that the present pension system is not working any more. Young ages are afraid that they may not be able to get pension money when the time comes.

A number of young men do not participate in the plan based on such observation. There is no definite way to force them to pay insurance fee as far as the present system continues.

This pension issue was also brought up at the general election in last fall. But the issue had been wiped out by such silly issue of privatization of the postal system led by then Priminister of Koizumi. Japanese people themselves are responsible for the result that brought up at this time. They should not make the same mistake and they will not at this time.

There is no doubt that present pension system must be reformed basically from any point of views. The only concrete and comprehensive counter measures to the current system is the scheme proposed by DPJ. People must learn more about their proposal in detail and vote for them in coming election.

The change of the pension system is only possible by the transfer of power in coming election and possible general election in near future. I do hope this will happen as soon as possible. Unless this would happen, there is no hope for improvement of our life, especially of young people in next two and three decades.

2007/7/14
Tadashi HAYASE