Japan LDP Paid 850 M. Yen for Policy Activity Funds in 2023

   Tokyo, Nov. 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2023 paid 13 senior party lawmakers 850.5 million yen in policy activity funds, which are drawing criticism for lack of transparency, internal ministry data showed Friday.
   The amount of the funds, whose uses do not need to be disclosed, was 39.9 pct lower than in 2022, when the election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, was held.
   Since policy activity funds have been criticized as a hotbed for slush funds, ruling and opposition parties broadly agreed on a plan Tuesday to abolish them.
   According to the data, Toshimitsu Motegi, who was the party's secretary-general in 2023, received the largest amount of policy activity funds with 602.6 million yen in 17 installments.
   Then Treasury Bureau head Kenji Wakamiya came next with 61 million yen, followed by Masakazu Sekiguchi, then leader of the LDP in the Upper House, with 56.6 million yen, then parliamentary affairs head Tsuyoshi Takagi with 48.8 million yen and then policy leader Koichi Hagiuda with 19.3 million yen.

(2024/11/29-20:47)

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