まゆの部屋

Koizumi says equality gap 'not bad'
The Yomiuri Shimbun

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday rejected criticism that his government's policy of structural reforms had merely succeeded in creating a wider gap between the haves and have-nots, saying such gaps were not necessarily a bad thing.

"In any country, in any given era, there are always income gaps to some extent. But they're not always a bad thing," Koizumi said in defense of deregulation and other measures taken by his administration to boost the private sector.

"What's important is not to only look at the gaps, but to take social competition as an opportunity for citizens to learn from one another and bring out the best in everybody," Koizumi said. The prime minister was speaking Tuesday at an intensive debate on structural reforms and regional economies at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee.

But he acknowledged the need for second chances for those who had dropped out of the rat race through job-training programs and assistance for new business start-ups. "The so-called winners and losers mustn't remain fixed. It's necessary to provide chances for those who've lost out once to make a comeback as a winner," Koizumi said.

The prime minister also spoke of the need to pay more attention to the weak. "It's important for the government to consider what it can offer to those who really can't support themselves," he said.

(Mar. 1, 2006)