The Kodomo Teate Law (子ども手当法 Kodomo Teate Hō) is a law introduced in Japan by the Democratic Party of Japan in April 2010. The law grants 13,000 yen per month to parents with children up to the age of fifteen.[1]
Contents |
The law furnishes guardians of children under 15 years old, whose birthday is before April 1 that year, with 26,000 yen every month. However, only in first fiscal year (2010) it is 13,000 yen. There is a Jido teate similar system already, but with an income limitation.
How the measure would be funded was not specified clearly. As a finance it allocated at first year two trillion and two hundreds fifty-five billion and four hundred million yen, and next year it will become twice. [2] The DPJ said that rescinded exemptions for dependents and marital deductions would help make up the revenue shortfall. The tax revenue increase is 800 billion yen from the exemption for dependents, 600 billion yen from marital deductions, but it is still far less than the expense of Kodomo teate. [3] By rescind of Kosodate ōen tokubetsu teate (子育て応援特別手当 support child-raising special benefit) in second government, 100 billion yen was added on budget. [4]
The measure has been criticised by local governments.[1] It is said that the bankroll of Kodomo teate should be appropriated the slash of additional appropriation, compiled under Liberal Democratic Party rule, but it contains budget of emergency economic, employment measures, and new virus measure. [5] [6] Heizo Takenaka, former Minister of Public Management, said It cut a little waste, but makes a big waste. [7] For the indication of revenue shortages, six out of ten people think it needs income limitation,[8] and Ichiro Ozawa, chief secretary, turned in remonstrance to the Government for income limitation. [9] But Naoto Kan, deputy prime minister, denied it, because he said that the cost of understanding of the country income should be higher than the expense of sum total of income limitation. [10] After all the proposal of income limitation was laid down. The Japan fiscal deficit remains a large percentage of GDP. An OECD spokesman said that the Japanese government should oppose the falling birthrate by increasing child day-care provision to enhance the employment rate which is at a record low level. [11] Naoto Kan, vice minister, Kazuhiro Harada, Minister of Public management, Yoshihisa Hujii, finance minister, and Akira Nagatsuma, minister of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, agreed that burden local authority or business enterprise budged remaining balance of 508 billion 900 millon yen after deduction of state budged from expenditure 2255 billion 400 million yen, as Jido teate. [12]
For revenue, the DPJ said it would abolish the dependent deduction and deduction for spouse. In that case, by Kodomo teate the family has a under 15 years old child and receive an annual remuneration of 5 million yen, will make income go up 230,900 yen. [13] And the house have an above 15 years old public high school student enjoy the benefit of ‘‘Kōkō mushō-ka hōan’’ (高校無償化法案 the high school student financial aid bill), but the house have not a under 15 years old child, independent high school student, full-time homemaker and no kids, a student in college or graduate school, adult child incapable of working for nursing of one’s elderly parents suffer a great loss. [14] The DJP Manifesto stated the benefit would help a child until their junior high school graduation, but actual eligibility requirements do not relate to junior high but rather fixed time periods.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) said in cases where children lived in homes for infants or orphan asylums, the parents would not be given the benefits. The number of these cases was estimated as 2400-5000. The head of such an institution said ‘‘they should rethink”. Within the DPJ there is the opinion that such cases do not fit with the idea of ‘‘Kodomo teate’’. [15] [16]
The Ministry also said that if parents lived in Japan with a child, they were to be given the Kodomo teate, regardless of nationality.
Some argue that such benefit is effective in stimulating economic growth, but in polls, many say that they will just save the money. Yoshimasa Hayashi, an LDP legislator, said I think Kodomo teate is socialistic. On January 8, 2010 the Mayor of Ota city said that he was cutting off school lunch fees and child-care fees from people who had not paid city tax.
It was reported that a Korean man in his fifties visited Amagasaki city hall and applied for help for 554 children. The bureaucrat refused his proposal, arguing that he was not actually nurturing them. Another city staff member said the man had visited city hall on 22 April, claiming his wife was from Thailand and had adopted 554 children in Thailand.[17]
On May 25, 2010 in the Committee on Health, Welfare and Labor, Tamayo Marukawa, a Liberal Democratic Party legislator, suggested to then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama that Kodomo teate from his wealthy mother was really Wealth without work. Hatoyama said I am completely in the dark regarding financial assistance by my mother.[18]