Abe says not aware of survey flaws before govt adopts budget

January 30, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday that he was not aware of labor survey irregularities before his government adopted an annual budget plan late last year.

Speaking at the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, Abe said he was informed of the survey irregularities on Dec. 28 by one of his aides.

The government adopted its fiscal 2019 budget plan on Dec. 21.

Abe said he ordered a thorough investigation when being informed of the statistics flaws.

He made the comments in response to a question by Yukio Edano, leader of the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan after Abe made a policy speech at both chambers of the Diet on Monday.

Edano criticized labor minister Takumi Nemoto for failing to stop the government from adopting the budget plan despite knowing about the survey flaws.

Nemoto told the Lower House that he had been unable to assess the possible impact on the budget plan of the survey flaws, as details remained unknown at the time.

Edano called on Abe to dismiss the labor minister, but the prime minister refused to do this. "I want the labor minister to work hard to lead preventative efforts," Abe said.

In the statistics flaw scandal, which came to light in late December, the labor ministry used an improper method for surveying businesses in Tokyo, leading to underpayments of employment insurance and other benefits.

On Jan. 18, the government adopted a revised budget plan including funds to finance benefit shortfalls caused by the survey flaws.

On a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia, Abe said his government maintains the view that Tokyo holds sovereignty over four northwestern Pacific islands held by Moscow.

The comments came after Edano claimed Japan should not send any message that could be taken by Russia as giving up its sovereignty over any of the four islands.

Tokyo plans to promote territorial talks with Moscow based on the 1956 Japan-Soviet joint declaration.

The declaration stipulates that the Habomai group of islets and Shikotan, two of the four islands, are handed over to Japan after the conclusion of a peace treaty to formally end World War II hostilities between Tokyo and Moscow.

The four islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan, were seized from Japan by Soviet troops in the closing days of the war. Jiji Press