Japan LDP Calls for Higher Incomes for Young People

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)--Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, called for boosting the incomes of young people in a television debate with other parties Sunday.

"It's important to increase the incomes of young people and families with children," Moriyama said in the debate program of public broadcaster Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK.

Meanwhile, Junya Ogawa, secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said, "The pillars should be public policies, including the conversion of nonregular workers into regular employees and further rises in the minimum wages."

The program brought together senior officials of ruling and opposition parties ahead of the Oct. 27 election of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament. They mainly discussed measures to address the country's unrelenting decrease in births and support young people.

Moriyama stressed the significance of supporting all households with children seamlessly based on their life stages. Ogawa advocated for free education and reducing financial burdens on households in the areas of medical and elderly care.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]