Gov't to extend cash handouts to 2 mil registered foreign residents

定額給付金、全外国人も原則対象　「２万円」の基準日は２月１日 Year 2009
12月20日16時56分配信 産経新聞


　総務省は２０日、平成２１年度第２次補正予算案の閣議決定に伴い、同案に盛り込まれた１人当たり原則１万２０００円を支給する定額給付金事業の実施概要を明らかにした。給付金総額は１兆９６７０億円で、このほか国が負担する市区町村の事務経費を８２５億円と想定して計上した。

　また、１１月末の「たたき台」で確定していなかった外国人の扱いについては、外国人登録者のうち、永住者や日本人の配偶者らのほか、在留資格を持つ就労者や留学生らも含めた。この結果、約２１５万人（平成１９年）の登録者のほとんどが対象となる見通し。

　給付金は６５歳以上と１８歳以下の人には８０００円加算し、計２万円が支給されるが、年齢の基準日は来年２月１日に決めた。具体的には、（１）昭和１９年２月２日以前（２）平成２年２月２日～２１年２月１日－に出生した人が加算支給の対象となる。基準日以降に他の自治体へ転居した場合の手続きなどは今後検討を進める。

　実際に住む場所と住民基本台帳に記載された居住地が異なる場合は、受給手続きが煩雑になる可能性もあり、総務省は正確な届け出を呼びかけている。

The government said Saturday it has decided to recognize 2 million foreigners registered as residents with local governments as of next Feb 1 as eligible for cash benefits it will hand out next year as a fiscal measure to spur private consumption.

The government will recognize foreigners registered as residents on the foreign registry as of Feb 1, 2009 as qualified recipients of the cash handout under the 2 trillion yen program, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Among the 2 million recipients are permanent foreign residents, such as North and South Korean residents in Japan, as well as foreign workers of Japanese ancestry who have residential permits as migrant workers, the ministry said.

Foreigners studying at Japanese schools as well as foreigners accepted as trainees by Japanese companies are also recognized as qualified recipients.

Foreign tourists, foreigners overstaying their visas and other illegal aliens will not be recognized as legitimate recipients, the ministry said.

The administration of Prime Minister Taro Aso approved on Saturday a second supplementary budget that includes the handouts as its main pillar.

The ministry said Feb 1 is the set date for deciding on eligibility for the handouts for both Japanese citizens and registered foreigners. The number of recipients, including foreigners, will total 129 million.

Japanese citizens and foreigners will basically be given 12,000 yen per person, but an extra 8,000 yen will be given to recipients up to and including 18 years old as of the standard date, as well as to recipients 65 years old or older.

Local government officials will check on such recipients’ ages when the cash handouts are disbursed. This means that those receiving additional payouts must be young people born on Feb 2, 1990, or later and elderly people born on Feb 2, 1944, or before.

Feb 2 became the defining date because Japanese law adds one more year to a person’s legal age at midnight on the day before he or she is born, the ministry said.

Consequently, people whose 65th birthday falls on next Feb 2 are counted among qualified recipients of the cash.

The older qualified recipients will total 28 million, while young recipients up to and including 18 years old will number 22 million persons.

But babies who will be born exactly on next Feb 2 or after will not be recognized as qualified recipients, because the government is designating Feb 1 as the defining date for eligibility, it said.

The cash will be handed out through the offices of the local governments at which Japanese citizens or foreigners are registered as residents.

The payments assume that the second extra budget and other relevant bills will pass the Diet. They also assume that local assemblies will pass budgetary bills to cover expenses for administering the payments.

It is not yet known, therefore, whether the government will be able to hand out the cash benefits prior to next March 31 because deliberations on these bills may drag on.