The government’s budget plan for the fiscal 2024 in the general account is combined with the recently compiled supplementary budget of the fiscal 2023. The administration’s claim lies in ‘getting completely free from deflation’ and ‘a good circulation of growth and distribution’. The reality, however, indicates financial arrangements are made to spend tax money on military build-up and invest in big businesses, throwing people in distress.
A BUDGET TO BOOST MILITARY BUILD-UP, LEAVING PEOPLE AGONIED
Tax increases continue
The draft budget for the fiscal 2024 in the general account sums 112 trillion and 71.7 billion yen. Excluding the reserve fund to cope urgently with Covid-19, the amount is the biggest in history in real term.
Tax revenues are estimated as 69 trillion and 608 billion yen, which is bigger than that of the fiscal 2023 by 168 billion yen in the earliest time of that fiscal: revenue from consumption tax is the greatest, amounting 23 trillion and 823 billion yen, which is higher than that of the fiscal 2023 by as much as 439 billion yen in the initial period of the fiscal. That means a slow but steady tax increase is imposed on the entire people.
Fresh issues of government bonds, which are to be spent to make good the loss, counts 34 trillion and 949 billion yen, recording over 30 trillion yen for these consecutive 16 years. The bond dependency rate reaches 31.2%, which means the national budget relies on the official debts. The estimated sum of bonds to be issued will grow up to 1,105 trillion yen in the end of the fiscal 2024.
Spending on cyber warfare - Armament will be enormous
The government allocates 7 trillion and 949.6 billion yen for expenditure of military purposes, which is bigger than that of the fiscal 2023 by 16.5%, recording the largest sum after nine years of uninterrupted growth.
The fiscal 2024 marks the second year of the military build-up program which will spend in total 43 trillion yen in five years: that is characterized by the plans of an earlier accomplishment of capabilities to attack enemy bases, more stimulated missile defense networks and readiness for cyber warfare. Appropriating about 230.3 billion yen, the government is intended to acquire pro-active cyber-defense capabilities, which means ability to hit enemies along with personnel training for that purpose and has a plan to increase experts, which counts currently 2,230 people as of the end of the fiscal 2023, up to 4,000 by the end of the fiscal 2027 (20,000 people, if the number of relevant specialists is included).
The New Socialist Party (NSP) starkly oppose the government’s belligerent program. We will keep taking actions to call off the planned budget and prevent relevant laws from being enacted.
Economics – Advanced semi-conductors
The Kishida administration keeps to boost productive capabilities of semiconductors, which is regarded as ‘core of the industrial world’.
The government has allocated approximately 2 trillion yen in the supplementary budget for the fiscal 2023 to spend on the three semiconductor-related funds. And, in the fiscal 2024, it will spend 4.8 billion yen on technological development of AI semi-conductors, which consumes less electricity, and 2 billion yen on the supporting waterworks for industrial water, which is crucial to the production.
A large sum is directed to Rapidus Corporation. It is the business entity established in August 2022 by eight Japanese firms, which include Toyota, Sony and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, with investments amounting 7.3 billion yen with an objective to domestically produce advanced semiconductors. The official financial aid for this package will reach around 1 trillion yen.
People’s life must be first
In the planned budget 140 billion yen has been reduced from a 520-billion-yen sum, portion estimated as a natural increase in terms of social services. Meanwhile, it invests in armament and helps huge business entities. The Kishida administration boasts of its ‘policies to tackle the issue of less births’, but it has just showed a list of unfinished tasks.
The NSP demands the government to rectify the unfair tax system: to abolish the consumption tax and to reinforce the progressive taxation system to be imposed on excesses. We need a more effective income redistribution function and a shift to supporting people’s life through a fairer financial structure.
２０２４年度政府一般会計予算案は、23年度補正予算と対をなす。掲げたのは「デフレからの完全脱却」と「成長と分配の好循環」。だが実体は、庶民に冷たい、軍備と大企業への財政投入である。
大衆増税がさらに
24年度政府一般会計予算案は、１１２兆７１７億円。コロナ等緊急対応での予備費を除くと、実質で過去最大規模に。
歳入では、税収を23年度当初比１６８０億円増の69兆４６０８０億円と見込む。消費税が最大税収項目で、23兆８２３０億円に。23年度当初比で４３９０億円も増加し、大衆増税がじわじわ進む。
財源不足を補う新規国債発行が34兆９４９０億円で、16年連続の30兆円台。国債依存度は31・２％と、借金頼みの財政運営。24年度末の国債発行残高は１１０５兆円に膨らむ。
大軍拡─サイバー
軍事費（狭義）には23年度当初比16・５％増の７兆９４９６億円を計上し10年連続で過去最大。
24年度は、５年間で総額43兆円超を投じる大軍拡の２年度目。特徴は敵基地攻撃能力の早期整備、ミサイル防衛網の強化、さらにサイバー対策。サイバーでは約２３０３億円を計上。敵基地攻撃に相当する「能動的サイバー防御」構築へ、専門要員の育成にも注力。専門要員は、23年度末の２２３０人を、27年度末で４０００人（関連要員含め約２万人）に。私たちは大軍拡に強く反対し、予算と関連法案の成立阻止へ行動していく。
経済─先端半導体
岸田政権は、「産業のコメ」である半導体の生産能力強化を継続支援する。
23年度補正で半導体関連３基金に約２兆円を組み、24年度でも消費電力の少ないＡＩ半導体など技術開発で48億円、半導体生産に必須の工業用水道整備の支援に20億円計上した。
際立つのが、ラピダスへの支援。ラピダスは昨年８月、トヨタ、ソニー、三菱ＵＦＪ銀行など国内８社が73億円を出資して設立され、先端半導体の国産化をめざす。このラピダスへの財政支援は１兆円規模となる。
庶民の生活が第一
政府予算案は、軍事・巨大企業へ財政を投入しつつ、必須の社会保障費では自然増５２００億円のうち１４００億円を削減した。岸田政権の看板政策「次元の異なる少子化対策」では、中途半端なメニューが並ぶだけ。
私たちは、消費税廃止・超過累進課税強化など不公平税制の是正、そして所得再分配機能充実と、庶民生活を支える財政構造への転換を強く求める。
英訳版↓
No. 1338 Draft Budget for Fiscal 2024
The government’s budget plan for the fiscal 2024 in the general account is combined with the recently compiled supplementary budget of the fiscal 2023. The administration’s claim lies in ‘getting completely free from deflation’ and ‘a good circulation of growth and distribution’. The reality, however, indicates financial arrangements are made to spend tax money on military build-up and invest in big businesses, throwing people in distress.
A BUDGET TO BOOST MILITARY BUILD-UP, LEAVING PEOPLE AGONIED
Tax increases continue
The draft budget for the fiscal 2024 in the general account sums 112 trillion and 71.7 billion yen. Excluding the reserve fund to cope urgently with Covid-19, the amount is the biggest in history in real term.
Tax revenues are estimated as 69 trillion and 608 billion yen, which is bigger than that of the fiscal 2023 by 168 billion yen in the earliest time of that fiscal: revenue from consumption tax is the greatest, amounting 23 trillion and 823 billion yen, which is higher than that of the fiscal 2023 by as much as 439 billion yen in the initial period of the fiscal. That means a slow but steady tax increase is imposed on the entire people.
Fresh issues of government bonds, which are to be spent to make good the loss, counts 34 trillion and 949 billion yen, recording over 30 trillion yen for these consecutive 16 years. The bond dependency rate reaches 31.2%, which means the national budget relies on the official debts. The estimated sum of bonds to be issued will grow up to 1,105 trillion yen in the end of the fiscal 2024.
Spending on cyber warfare - Armament will be enormous
The government allocates 7 trillion and 949.6 billion yen for expenditure of military purposes, which is bigger than that of the fiscal 2023 by 16.5%, recording the largest sum after nine years of uninterrupted growth.
The fiscal 2024 marks the second year of the military build-up program which will spend in total 43 trillion yen in five years: that is characterized by the plans of an earlier accomplishment of capabilities to attack enemy bases, more stimulated missile defense networks and readiness for cyber warfare. Appropriating about 230.3 billion yen, the government is intended to acquire pro-active cyber-defense capabilities, which means ability to hit enemies along with personnel training for that purpose and has a plan to increase experts, which counts currently 2,230 people as of the end of the fiscal 2023, up to 4,000 by the end of the fiscal 2027 (20,000 people, if the number of relevant specialists is included).
The New Socialist Party (NSP) starkly oppose the government’s belligerent program. We will keep taking actions to call off the planned budget and prevent relevant laws from being enacted.
Economics – Advanced semi-conductors
The Kishida administration keeps to boost productive capabilities of semiconductors, which is regarded as ‘core of the industrial world’.
The government has allocated approximately 2 trillion yen in the supplementary budget for the fiscal 2023 to spend on the three semiconductor-related funds. And, in the fiscal 2024, it will spend 4.8 billion yen on technological development of AI semi-conductors, which consumes less electricity, and 2 billion yen on the supporting waterworks for industrial water, which is crucial to the production.
A large sum is directed to Rapidus Corporation. It is the business entity established in August 2022 by eight Japanese firms, which include Toyota, Sony and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, with investments amounting 7.3 billion yen with an objective to domestically produce advanced semiconductors. The official financial aid for this package will reach around 1 trillion yen.
People’s life must be first
In the planned budget 140 billion yen has been reduced from a 520-billion-yen sum, portion estimated as a natural increase in terms of social services. Meanwhile, it invests in armament and helps huge business entities. The Kishida administration boasts of its ‘policies to tackle the issue of less births’, but it has just showed a list of unfinished tasks.
The NSP demands the government to rectify the unfair tax system: to abolish the consumption tax and to reinforce the progressive taxation system to be imposed on excesses. We need a more effective income redistribution function and a shift to supporting people’s life through a fairer financial structure.
January 17, 2024