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Ministerial Meeting on Earmarking Revenue Sources for Roads and Other Related Matters


Friday, May 16, 2008



Photograph of the Ministerial Meeting on Earmarking Revenue Sources for Roads and Other Related Matters


Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda held the 1st Ministerial Meeting on Earmarking Revenue Sources for Roads and Other Related Matters at the Diet building.

The Meeting, hosted by the Prime Minister and attended by the Ministers concerned, is held with the purpose of discussing concrete measures to be taken under the Basic Policy on Earmarking Revenue Sources for Roads and Other Related Matters, which was adopted through a Cabinet decision on May 13. At the 1st meeting, the Ministers discussed basic policy on the elimination of wasteful expenditures in special budget accounts, among other matters.

In his address at the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Fukuda said, "We made the Cabinet decision on the Basic Policy on Earmarking Revenue Sources for Roads and Other Related Matters, and decided to abolish the system of earmarking revenue sources for roads when we conduct a fundamental reform of the taxation system this year and to reallocate revenue sources for roads to the revenues used for general purposes from FY2009 on. Going forward, we must accelerate discussions so as to formulate concrete measures to be taken under the Basic Policy. With this in mind, the ruling parties have decided to hold their consultative meetings. For our part, the Government must advance discussions in order to come up with a concrete, complete proposal that can gain the people's understanding when we conduct a fundamental reform of the taxation system this year. I ask each Minister for their proactive efforts in this respect."