Survey: 59% oppose coalition gas tax bill

Nearly 60 percent of voters want revenue from the higher gas tax rate used for general purposes, not just road construction as stipulated in the ruling coalition's bill, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed.

Public favor for turning the road-specific tax into general revenue may account for the rising disapproval rate of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's Cabinet, which reached 50 percent for the first time, according to the survey conducted over the weekend.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, New Komeito, have passed the bill in the Lower House to extend the temporary tax for another 10 years as revenue for road construction.

The bill has been sent to the opposition-controlled Upper House, where Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) has called for allocating the funds into the general revenue pool for use in welfare, education and other needs.

According to the telephone survey, in which 2,028 randomly chosen voters around the country responded, 59 percent of the respondents said the tax revenue should be considered general revenue, an increase from 54 percent in the previous survey in February and 46 percent in December last year.

Thirty percent of the respondents said the money should not be considered general revenue, down from 35 percent in the previous survey.

Moreover, 59 percent of voters also oppose the ruling coalition's bill to extend the tax, while 28 percent said otherwise.

Even among respondents who support the LDP, 58 percent said the tax should be used for general purposes.

The results show that the public is increasingly opposed to the continuation of the higher gas tax rate, which is described as "temporary" but has been in place for decades.

Voters who do not support Fukuda's Cabinet edged up to 50 percent from 46 percent in the previous survey, while 32 percent said they support the Cabinet, down from 35 percent.

Only 18 percent said they highly evaluate Fukuda's handling of the gasoline tax issue in the Diet, while 66 percent said they look negatively on his tactics and attitudes.

As for the government's midterm plan to spend 59 trillion yen for road construction over the next 10 years, only 15 percent of the respondents believe the project should proceed, while 71 percent said the spending should be scaled down.

The opposition camp is also pressing Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba to step down over the recent collision between the Aegis destroyer Atago and a fishing boat. Thirty-four percent of the respondents said he should resign, while 57 percent said otherwise.

The survey indicates that people think that Ishiba's resignation alone will not uncover the cause of the accident or resolve the organizational problem of the Defense Ministry, which apparently mishandled crucial information about the Feb. 19 accident off Chiba Prefecture.

Among those supporting Ishiba's resignation, 18 percent said he should step down as soon as possible, while 80 percent said he should do so after resolving the problems in the ministry.

Fukuda promised that his government will fundamentally reform the Defense Ministry's structure. Thirty-two percent of the respondents said they have high hopes for his pledge, while 60 percent said they do not expect much to come from it.

Voters who support the LDP accounted for 29 percent of the respondents, down from 30 percent in the previous survey, while 21 percent said they back Minshuto, down from 24 percent.(IHT/Asahi: March 5,2008)