Kishida to return part of salary amid backlash over planned pay raise

Kishida to return part of salary amid backlash over planned pay raise

The revision is designed to raise the annual salaries of the prime minister and cabinet ministers by 460,000 yen and 320,000 yen, respectively.

And how about Kishida’s 19 cabinet ministers? Will they be returning their 320,000 yen raises?

The article doesn't mention his bonuses. I can never understand how a government worker or politician gets bonuses. Profit sharing?

Government is not working for you.

The crux is that the private sector is not working for you. The govt pay raises are reasonable given the recent inflation. But everyone should be getting something similar. The main question is why are real wages falling in the private sector, even while it earns its highest profits in history?

Once workers are paid at a level that keeps up with inflation and reflects firms' profit growth, then Japan's main economic hurdle will be solved.

Returning a portion of his salary means that he will still continue to accrue extra benefits at the level of the salary increase (pension etc.).

If he wants to return the salary increase, then he should also forego all the extra benefits that come with the increase before he 'returns' it.

Sadly, there is no serious opposition party--let alone candidate--to lead Japan. When Kishida's bespeckled face is no longer tenable, the LDP will just reach back in their sock drawer and pull out another puppet.

Don't forget they also get their 1,000,000 yen monthly correspondence allowance to Diet members paid in advance no questions asked. That is 4 to 5 times my take-home salary.

"The monthly allowances of 1 million yen ($8,750) to cover communication and travel expenses are provided to all Diet members and come on top of their salaries and bonuses. The ruling and opposition camps have started talks over the package of allowances for “document, communication, travel and accommodation,” or “buntsu-hi” for short. The funds are supposedly used to cover telephone and postal charges, travel expenses and hotel fees when Diet members stay overnight in Tokyo as part of their official duties."

They are making it sound incidental but they could have easily carved an exclusion for the cabinet and the members of the parliament. Pretty sure none of these folks neither need nor deserve a raise.

Voters: please stop casting votes for LDP candidates!

Whoopee doo! We're supposed to applaud?

Feathering their nests is what politicians the world over do best. Democracy needs a remedy desperately. Too bad there is no red pill for the people who vote for these corrupt venal clowns.

Another way of helping the general public, office worker is to make companies pay individuals for the 1_2 hours of compulsory overtime they work for nothing because the company says so.

Opposition parties have swiftly pointed out that the envisioned salary hikes among the national servants are much higher than the tax reductions in the latest economic measures.

Kakistocracy in action.

In New Capitalism negative ROI to clients, in this case the electorate means a pay raise.

And these are the men that should show an example for the nation.

Again,LDP politicians are the worst,but who voted and still continue to vote them is responsible as well.

What a Waterloo.

Returning a part is always easy, everyone can do that, if the dimensions are big enough. Give me 1000 millions and I return 999 millions with pleasure. lol

As if they needed any help to manage inflation. Just their raise is equivalent to the pay of two people having real jobs.

@Fredrik Our college chancellor, overseeing (people say) two colleges makes double that. Having said that, you just know that the retirement and other benefits for Diet members are off the charts compared to the rank and file.

Hard to believe he could be so tone deaf that nothing was done until the scandal broke out. He is so disconnected from the opinion of the public that he never gave a second thought about getting a raise in the middle of his current unpopularity. Probably thought that his plan of handouts would be enough for people to let him have some extra pocket money as well.

It's the same in education. It's simply baked into the system for white collar jobs.

The article doesn't mention his bonuses. I can never understand how a government worker or politician gets bonuses.

Exactly what has he and his officials done over the past year to deserve any pay rise?.........err, oh wait, he has taken how many trips overseas along with his clipboard warriors, all expenses paid, night club visits, the best restaurants. But Japan should be grateful to have such a caring PM.../s

Toe-circling timing, tin-eared, tone deaf.

The revision is designed to raise the annual salaries of the prime minister and cabinet ministers by 460,000 yen and 320,000 yen, respectively.

Visit your local Lawson, the renumeration hourly rate are for all to see.

Multi-tasking, cleaning, cooking, shelf filling, till service, stock taking, waste disposal, coffee making.

Maintain that smile.

CaptDingleheimerToday  10:03 am JST

I'm sorry, but someone with that level of executive responsibility deserves a paycheck even larger than that.

Do you think so. Really. Well, it's not hard for a LDP politician of his age and pedigree to attain that level of responsibility - Kishida did nothing particularly distinguished to earn it as I recall - and don't you think salary increases should be linked to performance and results? That's the way it is for most of us, why should senior politicians be any different?

What a bunch of …….

Surely will skim the loss from elsewhere and probably quadruple his income. The political systems aren’t working.

the prime minister's annual salary is expected to be 40.61 million yen

That would be USD 268,470.68 at the current rate. That would barely make it for the top 10% income tier in US, at that age bracket. An upper class income, but not by a big margin.

Well, the good news is the Japanese populace will be angered. So many families struggling yet the politicians get a generous raise. Then the population will vote for a different party and the LDP will be gone. The new party will reject the raise.

Right?

So what? American presidents and members of congress and the senate are paid much more.

Ah yes, finally reunited by the golden bloodsport of polibashing! Where everyone is a winner!

The gesture seems to have backfired, so Mr Kishida you are damned if you do, damned if you don't. Don't disagree with the sentiments above either, the J leadership class is let's say, lacking, but how does the old proverbials go? We get the leaders that we deserve.

If there were an engaged, thinking and politically savvy population, then these jokers would never have made it and we would have a completely different species of leader.

So in a sense, everyone is responsible.

Kishida to return part of salary

“part of?”

how about all of it?

man’s how about stop wasting money on your world tour while you’re at it?

a box of rotten bananas could’ve done the exact same thing he has done.

nothing

Japanese have voted for the LDP. Pay the price.

That is a democracy.

Jonathan PrinToday  02:16 pm JST

Japanese have voted for the LDP. Pay the price.

That is a democracy.

No they haven't, though. Only about a quarter of the population votes for the LDP but they still keep winning elections. That is about as far from being a democracy as it's possible to get without actually turning into a one-party state.

So in a sense, everyone is responsible.

Huh What?

So then you mean everyone gets benefits just the same. Cus logic.

Like gettin 460,000 yen and 320,000 yen and all travel expense paid accounts and never fired for resultless talk make work and...

It’s a pity that Kishida cannot return the millions of litres of aviation fuel that he and his predecessors have wasted taking two jetliners around the world

The revision is designed to raise the annual salaries of the prime minister and cabinet ministers by 460,000 yen and 320,000 yen, respectively.

Being Japanese bureaucrat is really sweet indeed.

While average salary increase for ordinary Japanese only 3,312 Yen or 1.2% that even won't catch with inflation.

https://japantoday.com/category/business/japan-household-spending-falls-2.8-in-september

Nothing new under the Sun.

Agree with all of the above. What has not been mentioned though, is the fact that they also wine and dine legally on our dime. They make insane amounts of money but still feel entitled to eat out using public funds??

Disgusting but not at all surprising.

The Japanese are so obedient and subsurvient it verges on masochistic when it comes to the amount of corruption and mismanagement they are willing to accept from this abhorrent behaviour from the LDP.

William_BlakeToday  03:00 pm JST

One thing that shocked me about Japan while living there is the elite status and privileged life p[olicticnas live.

They drive in luxury cars, go to the best restaurants and stay at luxury hotels etc. and are treated like royalty.

There's been a vacancy for a hereditary peerage in Japan since 1947 and the LDP have decided that they should occupy it.

I'm sorry, but someone with that level of executive responsibility deserves a paycheck even larger than that.

You would think right?? You can get a job that pays 2mil plus yen in Singapore working IT easily but not here in japan.

While average salary increase for ordinary Japanese only 3,312 Yen or 1.2% that even won't catch with inflation.

They can also dodge the tax on their income and other compensations. Their take-home income can reach 99% not to mention other forms of bribery that are primarily their source of true income.

Companies and common people get taxed to the point beyond heaven!

I'm sorry, but someone with that level of executive responsibility deserves a paycheck even larger than that.

He deserves every yen of that!

Japan is a neo-feudal country. I am surprised that Japanese elites brainwash the native population so effectively that no one revolts against the corruption, over-taxation, and economic oppression in the country. You also have a bunch of gaijins joining the brainwashing cult as well.

Japan is probably a second coming of North Korea at this point!

Hiya Uncle Sam, hiya pal!!

Yes, you are absolutely correct....Japan IS an upcoming second North Korea....your insight is 20-20 on this...what with all the similarities between the 2 nations.

Government is not working for you. They resemble the mafia and operate as they like no questions asked

Bring back PM Suga!

Japan is a neo-feudal country. I am surprised that Japanese elites brainwash the native population so effectively that no one revolts against the corruption, over-taxation, and economic oppression in the country. You also have a bunch of gaijins joining the brainwashing cult as well.

Japan is probably a second coming of North Korea at this point!