Editorial May 27, 2012

Foundation for future pensions

The government has sent a bill to unify different pension systems for public servants and private school teachers, on one hand, and corporate workers, on the other. The Diet should thoroughly discuss the bill since it will lay a long-term foundation for the nation’s ...

Editorial May 4, 2012

Bottom line for pension system

The incident in which AIJ Investment Advisors Co. lost most of ¥145.8 billion in pension assets through bad investments highlights problems related to the type of corporate pension fund known as kosei nenkin kikin. According to the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission, 84 corporate ...

Editorial Mar 28, 2012

Rein in investment advising firms

The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission on March 23 raided the head office of AIJ Investment Advisors Co. over the loss of nearly all the ¥145.8 billion entrusted to it by corporate pension funds. The SESC must do its best to uncover in detail ...

Editorial Mar 6, 2012

Increase pension oversight

The news that AIJ Investment Advisors Co. lost most of ¥210 billion entrusted to it by corporate pension funds is causing great worry to many salaried workers. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has found that 84 corporate pension funds entrusted their assets to ...

Editorial Mar 1, 2012

Reform and a livable pension

The Democratic Party of Japan has finally made public its preliminary financial calculations for pension reform it is advocating. Although the DPJ’s proposal is not perfect, both the government and political parties should accelerate their discussions on how to strengthen Japan’s pension system as ...

Editorial Jan 31, 2012

Japan's pension problem

In its manifesto for the 2009 Lower House election, the Democratic Party of Japan proposed introducing a minimum monthly pension of ¥70,000 or more. In their recent outline for tax and social welfare reforms, the government and the party only stated that they will ...

Editorial Jan 11, 2012

Pension cuts coming

The government plans to reduce public pensions over three years starting in fiscal 2012, saying that it has overpaid by 2.5 percent. The overpayment has resulted from the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito government’s decision. Public pensions are supposed to decrease in accordance with falls in ...