For press conference distribution

August 11, 2009

Supplementary Sentences to Clarify Expressions in the DPJ Manifesto

・ Following the release of our Manifesto on July 27, the Democratic Party of Japan has held meetings around the country and with organizations such as economic and labor organizations, as well as groups of experts to explain our policies, and we have received a wide range of questions and opinions.
Our Manifesto has been reported through the mass media and the Internet, and we have also received numerous questions and opinions from the public and from voters.
・ Many people have pointed out to us that in order to ensure that DPJ policies are correctly conveyed to voters, some expressions in the Manifesto should be clarified so that they are easier to understand.
・ We have thus added supplementary sentences to the Manifesto so that the public will better understand the policies we aim to implement.
・ The supplementary sentences do not change the DPJ policies that have been announced so far. They are intended to clarify certain points about policies that have already been decided on.


Supplementary sentences have been inserted as below:

1. In the table for fiscal resources (page 10), the following sentence has been added:
The special tax deduction for dependents, tax deductions for the elderly, and tax deductions for disabled persons will be continued. With regard to taxation of pensions, deductions for public pensions and other pensions will be increased, and tax deductions for the elderly will be revived. This will mean that while the tax deductions for spouses will be abolished, the tax burdens of pensioners will be decreased.

2. In "4. Regional Sovereignty" of the Five Pledges, and "IV. Regional Sovereignty" of the Manifesto’s Detailed Policies – 27 on page 14 stating "Dismantle and reorganise Kasumigaseki (the central bureaucracy) and establish regional sovereignty", the following sentence has been inserted to clarify the actual measure that will be taken.

We will establish a forum for discussions between the central government and local governments, in accordance with the law.

3. On the "Employment and the Economy" in the Five Pledges, the following have been inserted.

◆　Japan’s economic growth strategy
・ We will increase the disposable income of households and encourage consumption, by introducing such policies as a child allowance, free high school education, abolition of highway tolls, and abolition of provisional tax rates. These measures will change the Japanese economy to one centered on domestic demand, and will make stable economic growth possible.

・ The development and proliferation of the latest technologies such IT, biotechnology, and nanotechnology will be supported. Strong government support will be given particularly to measures against global warming in order to further enhance Japan’s advanced technical skills in this area and to nurture the environment-related sector as a future growth industry.

・ The agricultural, forestry and fishery industries, and the medical and nursing care industries are new growth industries. Providing an individual household income support allowance for farmers, improving working conditions for people in the medical and nursing care sectors, and other measures will be taken to enhance attractiveness and growth potential of these industries, and nurture them so that they become industries that create large-scale employment.

4. In “II. Childrearing and Education” – 10. “Lighten the economic burden of childbirth” on page 5 of the Manifesto’s Detailed Policies, the following has been inserted to clarify the actual measures that will be taken.

・ The system for providing information and consultation for infertility treatment will be strengthened. Support measures will be fortified, with consideration given to having medical insurance cover treatment known to have an effect on infertility symptoms.

5. In “VII. Foreign Relations” – 51. “Build a close and equal Japan-U.S. relationship” on page 27 of the Manifesto’s Detailed Policies, the second paragraph has been modified as follows:

Promote liberalization of trade and investment through the conclusion of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. The measures will not include any which are detrimental to the safety and stable supply of food, increasing Japan's food self-sufficiency ratio, and the development of Japan's agricultural industry and its farming villages.

In the following 52 “Strengthen Japan's foreign relations in Asia with the aim of building an East Asian Community”, the third paragraph has been modified as follows:

Take positive measures to promote the conclusion of economic partnership agreements (EPAs) and free trade agreements (FTAs) with countries of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as countries throughout the world, covering a broad range of fields including investment, labour and intellectual property. The measures will not include any which are detrimental to the safety and stable supply of food, increasing Japan's food self-sufficiency ratio, and the development of Japan's agricultural industry and its farming villages.