Web Based ListeningコミュのSkype M

Local autonomy reform.　　2010/12/24

.On the issue of decentralization of power to local governments, Prime Minister Naoto Kan recently had this to say: "We may not be able to immediately scale the summit, but I nevertheless intend to tackle this issue with utmost seriousness."

Kan seems to feel that he is pushing ahead on this issue. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku has also stressed the prime minister's leadership in this regard.

But wait a moment. Moves to reform the system are not even remotely approaching the summit that Kan referred to. All that's happened is a lot of back-and-forth at the foot of this so-called mountain.

Last week, the regional sovereignty strategy council, which is chaired by the prime minister, presented a draft on reforming local branches of central government offices and consolidating state subsidies through lump-sum payments to local governments.

But the basic strategy is anything but satisfactory. In particular, the manner in which the council shelved reform of central government branches that were supposed to be abolished is completely unacceptable.

When the Liberal Democratic Party held power, it was pointed out that having overlapping administrative functions is wasteful. What the council is supposed to have done was to decide on the level of administrative functions that government arms, such as regional development bureaus of the land ministry, should be transferred to local governments and present a road map on how to abolish those branches.

But the report offers no vision of how organizations ought to be. At the same time, it cited the transfer of national roads, rivers and public employment offices (Hello Work) that local governments have been demanding. This is not a persuasive argument.

The government says that "first-class rivers and national roads that only run through single prefectures will be transferred to local governments as a general rule." Then what will happen to regional development bureaus?

The administration of Hello Work will not be left to local governments because the council in effect gave in to opposition by Rengo (The Japanese Trade Union Confederation), a support base of the Democratic Party of Japan. Local governments harshly criticized the decision. They derided it as a typical example of "double administration."

The consolidation of subsidies into lump-sum payments amounts to nothing more than a system to allow local governments to choose from subsidies provided by eight government ministries. We welcome the decision to secure some 1 trillion yen ($11.9 billion) in two years. It shows the administration did not cave in to ministry resistance. But, most of the funds will likely be spent on projects already started.

The number of programs and projects for which the money can be freely spent by local governments should be increased. No strings should be attached. That will require severing the bond among ministries. Eventually, funding matters should be left to local governments. The council should show it has this framework in mind.

The content of the draft is poor because the ministries took advantage of the Kan Cabinet's weaknesses. It is clear the central government initiative is going nowhere, so we urge local governments to take action.

We want them to show their determination to take over the role of government branches. The draft states that when transferring functions, the opinions of relevant mayors would be taken into consideration. Ministries that are reluctant to relinquish their authority believe that many mayors are more comfortable leaving matters to the central government than to governors.

People who are doing the actual work are worried about whether they can secure sufficient funds and technology. But unless local governments get together to dispel these anxieties, reform cannot move forward.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 23