The latest annual Board of Audit report has once again highlighted the lagging implementation of projects to aid the reconstruction of communities devastated by the March 2011 disasters. Nearly a quarter of the ¥19 trillion set aside for such projects in fiscal 2011 and 2012 was unused. Meanwhile, roughly ¥1.3 trillion was found to have been earmarked for work that has nothing to do with reconstruction of disaster-hit areas. The government must properly assess reconstruction requirements, set aside funds where the money is really needed and take the initiative to remove obstacles that are hindering the implementation of necessary projects.
According to the report, a total of ¥19.9 trillion had been earmarked for reconstruction projects in fiscal 2011 and 2012, but ¥4.53 trillion — or 22 percent of the total — was left unused at the end of March 2013. About ¥2.2 trillion of the amount was carried over for use in fiscal 2013 or later while the remainder was returned to the national coffers as "unnecessary." About ¥570 billion earmarked in fiscal 2011 to cover 127 projects was carried over to the fiscal 2012 budget but remained unused a year later. Many of the projects to dispose of tsunami debris and rebuild port facilities could not be carried out because of local manpower and materials shortage or for other reasons such as soil contamination.
In some of the programs financed by a fund created by the reconstruction budget, government subsidies were returned entirely unused to the state coffers after nobody applied for money from the fund — apparently because the programs did not match the needs of the disaster-hit areas. The Board of Audit report urged the central government to work more closely with local municipalities to assess what is needed and what is being done in the affected areas before distributing reconstruction funds.