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消費税引き上げ 必要性を率直に国民に説け

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Aug. 9, 2009)
Parties must explain need for consumption tax hike
消費税引き上げ 必要性を率直に国民に説け(8月9日付・読売社説)

It is time to answer the question of how to secure the financial resources needed to make the social security system sustainable.
 社会保障制度を持続可能にする財源をどう確保するか、もう答えを出す時ではないか。

Most of the public understand that the consumption tax, which spreads the burden on taxpayers broadly and thinly, is the only tax that can be tapped to provide a stable source of financing.
 安定財源となり得るのは、広く薄く負担を求める消費税しかないことは多くの国民が理解している。

But deep debate on the consumption tax among the ruling and opposition parties in the run-up to the House of Representatives election is yet to occur. Even if the parties argue that priority should be given to economic recovery or thorough expenditure cuts, they also should try to show how a consumption tax rate hike might be achieved.
 だが、衆院選に向けた与野党の消費税議論は一向に深まっていない。景気回復や歳出削減の徹底が先だとしても、与野党は選挙戦を通じて、将来の引き上げの具体像を示すよう努めるべきだ。

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party specifies in its manifesto that it will take the necessary legal steps by fiscal 2011 to implement drastic reform of the taxation system--including consumption tax changes--immediately after the economy turns for the better.
 自民党は消費税を含む税制抜本改革について、「2011年度までに必要な法制上の措置を講じ、経済状況の好転後、遅滞なく実施する」と政権公約に明記した。

The LDP will designate the consumption tax as a special purpose tax, allowing it to allot all the increased revenue to social security programs, while gradually raising the consumption tax rate. The party also stated a deadline for completion of the preparation stage, which seems to be a responsible attitude for a ruling party.
 増収分の全額を社会保障財源に充てる目的税化を行い、税率を段階的に引き上げる。その準備を終える期限を約束したのは、責任ある姿勢といえるだろう。

In the 2005 lower house election, the ruling bloc pledged to implement drastic reform, including consumption tax reform, around fiscal 2007, but failed to fulfill their promise. If it intends to tackle the reform issue seriously this time, it should clearly state what the tax rate will be and when it will be raised.
 与党は05年の前回衆院選で、07年度をメドに消費税などの抜本改革を実現すると公約したが、果たせなかった。今回は真剣に取り組むというなら、税率や引き上げ時期をはっきりさせるべきだ。

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DPJ must explain position

The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan said in its manifesto that it will not raise the consumption tax rate in the coming four years. In the run-up to the 2005 lower house election, the DPJ said it backed a three percentage point consumption tax rate hike. So far, the party has not sufficiently explained to the public why it has decided there is no need to raise the tax rate this time.
 民主党は、今後4年間は消費税率は引き上げないという。前回衆院選では年金目的消費税として、3%の引き上げを掲げていた。なぜ今回は引き上げを不要としたのか、十分な説明はない。

As part of its program for taxation reform announced in December 2008, the DPJ said the importance of the consumption tax would continue to grow and that it intended to draw up a framework for tax reform, including consumption tax changes, during its first term if it gains power.
 昨年暮れの「税制抜本改革アクションプログラム」では、「消費税の重要性はますます高まる」とし、民主党政権の最初の任期中に消費税を含む税制改革の制度設計を進めることを明記した。

If the DPJ intends to use the consumption tax as a financial resource to fund the social security system and begin to draw up a plan for drastic taxation reform, little would separate the DPJ and LDP on the issue. The DPJ therefore needs to admit it is necessary to increase the consumption tax burden and frankly explain the reasons why to the public.
 社会保障財源として消費税を活用し、その制度設計を始めるなら、与党が示した道筋と大差はない。ならば、国民に負担増の必要性を率直に説くべきではないか。

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Scope for a rate increase

At 25 percent, Sweden has the highest consumption tax rate in Europe, with value-added tax rates in much of the continent, including Britain, France and Germany, ranging from 15 percent to 20 percent. Those of China and South Korea are 17 percent and 10 percent, respectively, making Japan's 5 percent rather exceptional.
 スウェーデンの25%を筆頭に、イギリス、ドイツ、フランスなど欧州の付加価値税の税率は、15~20%が当たり前だ。中国は17%、韓国でも10%だ。日本の5%は、むしろ例外的といえる。

It is necessary to take into consideration the effect on low-income earners whose burden will become larger if the consumption tax rate is raised.
 引き上げで負担が増える低所得者に対する配慮は必要だ。

By allotting some of the increased revenue to the financing of social security programs, the benefits received by low-income earners can be increased. But at the same time, the question of what the reduced tax rate should be on daily necessities will arise. It will be necessary to consider making mandatory an invoicing system in which various taxes would have to be recorded on an itemized bill whenever a purchase is made.
増収分を社会保障に回すことで低所得者への給付は手厚くなるが、同時に生活必需品への軽減税率の適用も課題になる。インボイス(伝票)方式の検討も避けて通れまい。

The DPJ is proposing a system that would see low-income earners given payments equivalent to the consumption tax levied on daily necessities, but this leaves key problems unaddressed, including how to accurately assess each low-income earner's income. So, it is more realistic to first consider applying a lower tax rate on daily necessities than on other items.
 民主党は生活必需品の消費税相当額を低所得者に還元する「給付つき消費税額控除」を提唱しているが、実現には所得把握の方法など難題を抱えている。まず軽減税率を考えた方が現実的だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 9, 2009)
(2009年8月9日01時19分 読売新聞)
by kiyoshimat | 2009-08-09 11:03 | 英字新聞

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