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Kishida pledges huge COVID relief package if he wins LDP leadership vote

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Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday pledged an economic package with "tens of trillions of yen" to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as a pillar of his policy platform, as he faces off against Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's upcoming leadership race.

That's lot of money, what happened to previous fund? Any report on how their actual impact?

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Kishida also called for the introduction of digital vaccine passports proving a person's record of inoculation to facilitate economic activities once the spread of the virus comes under control.

This is his actual quote (translated):

“What is necessary to resume regular social and economic activities are vaccines, electronic vaccine passports and sufficient testing systems.”

So digital vaccine passports to do daily tasks.

This'll be interesting to watch how it implodes.

16 ( +19 / -3 )

create a health crisis management agency to cope with the coronavirus crisis, if he wins the vote.

‘Another agency? They have a panel of experts they ignored and that’s the second panel as the first was disbanded for giving uncomfortable advice. Now an Agency? Staffed with…bureaucrats from the J-Agriculture agency, tax office, women’s agency, fax ink replacement agency. Have the experts on the pay roll already, just listen to them.

17 ( +17 / -0 )

I wonder if this includes further direct stimulus/assistance payments to residents. The US has done it 3 times, but Japan only once. And a pittance too. Enough of giving assistance only to business'.

20 ( +22 / -2 )

Enough of giving assistance only to business'.

Yeah, but here's what he explained (from another article about it):

As for economic measures, Kishida proposed a stimulus package worth billions of yen. It would provide financial assistance to businesses, matched with their scale regardless of their industry and the area where they operate, to cover their fixed expenses such as rent, with the support envisaged as lasting into the spring.

So more money for businesses!

18 ( +18 / -0 )

I wouldn’t mind another free ¥100,000. Planning to drive up Japan from south to north this summer.

-8 ( +11 / -19 )

For all politicians in the world one thing count for them all:

Before the election, they talk and promise many very nice things.

After they got elected, they suddenly suffer a hard memory loss.

21 ( +22 / -1 )

We have been told by government that the welfare of the population is the most important thing during this medical crisis.

Here we are, elections cannot happen this month as they need to work on the Covid situation, but look like they could happen in October. It is OK to have a election to pick the Prime Minister. Campaigning to start mid month and election towards end of month. Yet we have candidates putting forward they plans now. So the campaign has already started?

If the Covid situation is so serious and the lives of the population so important, surly there should be debates these plans in the Diet and get actions now. Not horse trading between candidates for the best part of a month.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

The package includes a plan to strengthen financial aid to businesses affected by government policies such as a request for shorter hours and people hit by the economic slump in the wake of the pandemic, Kishida said at a press conference.

The LDP Kishida pitch for an election in a pandemic: Vote for me and you won't believe the money Dentsu, JTB and hotel owners will be getting!

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Here’s another fascist trying to introduce vaccine passports.

2 ( +19 / -17 )

Yes, I am all for more money in the general public and small businesses pockets and less in the corporate pockets, the general public have suffered so much because of this virus, and on top of that the governments confusing and slow response.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

For all politicians in the world one thing count for them all:

Before the election, they talk and promise many very nice things.

After they got elected, they suddenly suffer a hard memory loss.

words of wisdom Monty!

It's all load of hot air from a conniving lying slime bag! Don't trust a word he says!

words of wisdom Paul.

This is nothing more than another Nippon Kaigi stooge pandering to his alt right base. The LDP act like they own the country and the elections only are important within the framework of the party. The Japanese public should vote with their feet and vote for ANYONE but the LDP.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Kishida is trying to win by "populism."

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Promises made.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Here’s another fascist trying to introduce vaccine passports.

historically, it is the communists who have had interior passports. Please do not use words you do not understand. Having said that, we’ll have to fight very hard against this measure.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Will they put qr scanners at the entrance to every building and home for the vaccine passports to allow entry, and allow you to leave? Will it have MyNumber on it? Will they spell my name correctly this time?

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Kishida would be better than Suga. I have no problem with handing out money to businesses that have shortened their hours due to SOE. A walk through Shibuya last night, most bars and restaurants were open even at close to midnight. The SOE is a joke and these businesses will go bankrupt so what choice do they have other than not to comply?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Lots of Japanese are dying in their home for a lack of bed space, this a reason lots of Japanese , should stay their behind home, in America you will not be denied access to a bed only under extreme cases

3 ( +5 / -2 )

As long as he lines the pockets of his cronies then he's in.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

The money would be disbursed through private sector interests known to be supportive of the LDP.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Another incompetent using Covid to get elected

8 ( +10 / -2 )

He is saying this as part of his plan to be elected as leader - why hasn't he been saying it for the last 12 months?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Vaccine passports would not be allowed with the current constitution. It would break too many basic human rights such as the right to medical privacy. Also, vaccinations during a pandemic creates variant, and the vaccine does not prevent transmission, nor infections, nor hospitalisations, nor deaths (refer yourself to Israeli and Icelandic official numbers for proof) which makes this vaccine passports a stupid idea, especially when then aren’t required in packed trains but to enter a restaurant. We live in a time of great stupidity.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Kishida pledges huge COVID relief package if he wins LDP leadership vote.

These Schweinehunds cut the pay of Doctors and nurses who were combatting this disease in the first place, a great insult to people who are fighting the disease on a daily basis.

These Schwinehunds should have offered assistance by all means possible to doctors, nurses, and who every are fighting this disease in hospitals, assistance the public sufferings from the disease, assistance to all small business and small restaurants, and assistance to all who are combating this disease.

Instead, What did they do? OLYMPICSやろ!!Then they delay the election and cite taking care of the Corona Virus, Just shows you where these Schwinehunds priorities are. None of these Schwinehunds should be given a second more in their current positions.

The people of Japan should not forget this, but sadly the circle of incompetency and stagnation will likely continue decade after decade.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

More taxpayer money that’ll mostly go into slush funds and LDP crony bank accounts.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

That's a lot of money. I wonder where he's gonna get the money from. Where it's going to be drawn from. After all, he can't just print the money or conjure it up. Will he transfer it from the JSDF, for example? Or from the culture fund?

That information alone, i.e. "if I'm elected, there will be money" almost implies that if someone else is elected, that money will not be released for the COVID package. Again, this begs the question of where the money is supposed to come from.As I see it, this is just another cheap, populist gesture

4 ( +5 / -1 )

No thanks Kishida.

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A 'cynical' person might suspect he's trying to buy the election...and, if the Delta proves to be infectious to those who already have the current COVID vaccination or it's demonstrated that the vaccinated are, indeed, 'carriers' of Delta, the 'vaccine passports' will be meaningless. Politics in the time of plague...and who could have predicted that Japan, of all countries, would find itself in this situation? Also, the Japanese Big Pharma not having a domestic vaccine of its own when even Cuba, Iran, and others have been able to develop vaccines is a disgrace and indictment of Big Money in Japan. Heads should roll...but let's blame it on the 'unvaccinated' instead. It works for America...

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Heard it all before.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

All bark and no bite… from one old LDP to another! If the Japanese are seriously wanting better future and effective changes then they have to vote for anyone else except LDP!

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Whoever wins will probably just be warming the seat for Abe.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

@Lovecrafting you are mistaken

0 ( +1 / -1 )

All bets on Yukio Edano.

He has ONE job.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The package includes a plan to strengthen financial aid to businesses affected by government policies such as a request for shorter hours and people hit by the economic slump in the wake of the pandemic, Kishida said at a press conference.

It appears that we the smaller people won't benefit from this. Only the businesses This is a sure way to loose people's votes! Exclude the hard working people from the "tens of trillions of yen!"

I know it said ;

and people hit by the economic slump in the wake of the pandemic

The "people" here means the landlords who had to cut the rents to help out other people who's jobs were affected/cut by this 'rona situation!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

divindaToday  06:58 am JST

So digital vaccine passports to do daily tasks.

This'll be interesting to watch how it implodes.  07:41 am JST

MeiyouwentiToday  07:41 am JST

Here’s another fascist trying to introduce vaccine passports.

Almost as if they're trying to sneak that hugely unpopular national ID card back in, under the guise of a vaccine passport.

Always the opportunists, but using a pandemic; that's a new low.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Rinse and repeat.

Same old recipes.

Who to suffer those decisions ? The Taros

Who to win big money ? The big Dentsu & co.

Nothing changes. Take number two to put in number one. Makes me really think about my first sentence. That is LDP's worth level.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

SUGA IS BOWING OUT.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Japan has the No 1 debt to GDP in the world. Dude is promising money they don’t have.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

With Suga outgoing, Kishida is coming forward to the front side for LDP leadership race. His policy ideas above will get more attention and scrutiny.

Kishida is regarded as a finance hawk as he used to suggest further raise on VAT and cut public expenditure. Let's hope that many of his proposals won't end up an empty promise.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

And the auJibunBank Services PMI (purchasing managers' index) survey was 42.9 in August 2021, compared with the preliminary reading of 43.5 and a final 47.4 a month earlier. New orders fell the most in 15 months, while export sales shrank at a steeper rate. Not going in the right direction.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Has anyone heard word on booster shots, here in Japan.

A friend in the US already has his third Pfizer shot scheduled for early October. In Canada I've heard, priority for the booster is being given to individuals with immunity issues. They will be first in queue for the booster. At least Canada is making plans for how the next phase will roll out.

Maybe with a change of leadership here in Japan, the next phase of dealing with the pandemic will be smoother.

Russia is also making plans

Russia allows booster shots 6 months after vaccination

https://apnews.com/article/europe-russia-coronavirus-pandemic-health-a2721213be2718d71f7555e3f3c71129

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Suga plan's was to inoculate the entire population by November, now what is the Need for Kishida to invest such big money on Covid-19.

What is the hints behind this decision ?

Moderna Vaccine sent to Japan contains stainless particles

Suga decides to resign

Kishida pledged an economic package with "tens of trillions of yen" to fight the COVID-19.

I'm not Optimistic

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Cute little chart.

Did Koike teach him

how to make those?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Say anything to get elected

1 ( +2 / -1 )

MeiyouwentiToday  07:41 am JST

Here’s another fascist trying to introduce vaccine passports

Most saying this don't even know what fascism is.

I guess the restaurant that has no smoking is fascist under your definition, or being required to wear a seatbelt is fascist what about no show in the store, restaurants, dentist office, also fascist?

People are hilarious.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

huge COVID relief package

Sounds like code for huge future tax burden increase, but what’s new I guess.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I would like to see how hes going to handle the SOE, will he use more urging, or will he get a back bone and put his food down, and actually enforce the rules that are currently enforce.

It would seem that Japnans office system is highly inefficient, with hanko stampers for everything from a cup of tea, throught to house moving etc taking up a lot of wasted time, if these were removed or slimmed down co would be more efficiant, and profitable and it could shorten the working day. will this happen? I dought it

1 ( +1 / -0 )

And here we are again,with another bronze face ultra right winger old misogynist LDP/Nippon Kaigi oyaji showing off to impress the naïve and obedient population.

Japan is really a one party state,and the fault is from it's people that are not willing to accept changes.

This muppet here will keep doing the same agenda that his fellow Nippon Kaigi predecessors did.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

10man en please

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Please.....someone tech him powerpoint

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

free stuff for the tax payer paid for by the tax payer while making it hard for the tax payer to make money to pay their taxes, 21st century logic

0 ( +0 / -0 )

R. T.Today  04:27 pm JST

I don't care who the next PM is going to be as long as he gives me another ¥100,000

¥100,000?

I want that every month until business picks up.

That is how much my client of over 20 years paid me every month until covid.

In January 2020 he came and told me they were ending my contract because And I quote:

" Our clients are worried because we have a Gaikokujin working for us. They are afraid that foreigners spread Corona, so we have to stop using you"

That was it 20 years and that was how it ended, what is worse is I only went to their workshop once or twice a week and never interacted with their clients only the other crafts people.

Took 10 months to get the ¥1 million for businesses that lost money but since then nothing but that ¥100,000.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

The LDP needs your taxes to fight the pandemic!

The black comedy continues….

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Antiquesaving

I’m extremely sorry to hear that your work has been cancelled due to sheer ignorance and racism

In countries with more advanced legal systems that would be a court case with large damages to follow.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

This magic money should be spent on vaccinations and acceptance. Get our economy open subsidised economy’s have never worked.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Supporting only businesses but not also the broader masses , similarly stricken by pandemic? That’s very much biased like under Suga. Doesn’t therefore still sound so very much convincing yet, but he also fairly gets his 100 days in power , if he can grab it, to show his cards or intentions, before drawing fire. lol

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Here we go. A politician with a pointy stick.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Former Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida waving a stick at a cardboard cut out does not for a moment break down the implications to the.....

Well take a look.....

Central Government Debt

https://www.mof.go.jp/english/policy/jgbs/reference/gbb/index.htm

Then add in Kishida-nomics

1 ( +1 / -0 )

And what about the public that doesn't have businesses or jobs or much money to live on because of the pandemic ?

Where's the economic relief package of us?

People need money for food and rent or heath care needs.

Not to mention need to pay for taxes and heath insurance .

For health care that appears to be not available when we need need it.

Please another economic stimulus check for the people that will also go back into the economy.

Where you think those funds came from ?

ame from our taxes probably.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

When the Suga administration was in power, last summer, there was actually a budget set aside for the expansion of hospital beds. An organization called the Japan Medical Association did not use the budget at all and did not make any effort to expand the number of hospital beds. However, in June, as the Olympics began to draw near, the Japan Medical Association began to criticize the Japanese government, claiming that "a single-minded focus on vaccines will cause the collapse of medical care," even though they had not made any effort at all. The Japan Medical Association was also opposed to expanding the number of people who could receive vaccine shots. The Japanese government also subsidized hospitals that treated coronas, but there were hospitals that received subsidies but did not accept coronas patients. However, there were some hospitals that received subsidies but did not accept coronary patients. The Japanese government decided to punish those hospitals by announcing their names, but the Japan Medical Association opposed this as well. In the end, I believe that the Japan Medical Association was the organization that had the biggest problem with Corona.

I don't think Kishida is capable of dealing with the situation in this way. Rather, I feel that he is a politician who is soft on the Japan Medical Association and other vested interest groups.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As always, pledging from these people means they will do absolutely nothing.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yeah, right... after he raises taxes for defense funding first.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Kishida is so full of himself.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Only IF and WHEN Finance Minister Taro Aso says it's OK to spend "his" money. After all, he's the guy running the show here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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