日本の社会保障改革とベーシック・インカム構想(<特集>ベーシック・インカム論の諸相-これからの日本社会を展望して)

抄録

In Japan, although the situation of income differential and poverty has spread among people, the Government has not fully done the correspondence. As a cause of the governmental insufficient action, the weakness of the function of income redistribution by a taxation system and a social security system is pointed out. The Government is pressed to put a serious reform of social security system into action and is tackling "an integrated reform of tax and social security". However the Government is charging at a big hike in consumption tax, not showing a clear vision of a social security reform. The social security system of Japan, in addition to the problem of a chronic fund shortage, has a grave concern over the sustainability to the future. The system has set social insurance institutions as a financial core, so that it may be called social-insurance center principle. However, the number of recipients of an annual pension and medical treatments is increasing quickly under the increase of the aged population, while the working population which pays a social security payment is continuing to decrease. Moreover, in the market for labor in Japan, nonregular workers of short-time labor are continuing to increase in number, and the rate occupies 1/3 of all the employed workers. The worker of less than 30 hours per week has not a qualification to join a social insurance. Under such a background, most of social insurances in Japan has fallen into the situation of a financial emergency and is losing the view to future. The social security system of Japan does not match with the low birthrate and aging of population and the bipolarization of a market for labor. Such conventional reforms as an increase of social insurance premiums, a cut of a benefit payout and a tax increase have already reached the limit. The social security of Japan should free itself from the social-insurance center principle. I think that we are coming to the time to grope for the system reorganization by a new view. The important method is changing the income grant in the present social security payment to a new system for paying a basic income. However, it is difficult to change the present income grant to a basic income system fully at once. As a process of the change, introducing partially and expanding gradually will be viewed. I think that the priority should be given to the old people and the child generation who cannot work for money probably. While granting at a small amount for the adult who can earn, it is required to secure the opportunity of a decent employment for them. Introduction of a basic income security is useful for the creation of a better society. Securing a basic income has the "basic effect" which gets rid of people's absolute poverty. Moreover, it forms the domain of subsistence economy distinguished from a market economy. Furthermore, a basic income system brings a social environment which people can enjoy a free and more fitting lifestyle for them. It is also expected to raise a consciousness of a social solidarity and to develop a mutual cooperation among people. There is a strong objection against the introduction of it from the point of view of a moral hazard, so-called "a fall of the will to work". But I do not side with this objection. I consider that the introduction will change the quality of people's will to work and will produce a new opportunity which raises people's will to work further.