Abe urges people to apply online for swift $930 payments

Apr 18, 2020 | News On Japan

Apr 18, 2020 (Nikkei) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to see people apply for universal 100,000 yen ($930) cash payouts online or via mail to ensure the assistance gets to them quickly, possibly in May.

"Unity with the people is important to overcome the fight against the virus, which could become protracted," the prime minister told a press conference Friday, explaining the cash assistance.

Residents can apply "by mail or online," not at local government offices, Abe said, adding "We want to prioritize speed while also avoiding having floods of people [at the offices] that would heighten the risk of transmitting the virus."

The government has decided to give a cash handout of 100,000 yen to every resident, regardless of income and age, after a haphazard withdrawal of an earlier proposal to give 300,000 yen to qualifying households that had lost income. Heavy criticism of the earlier plan from the public, including coalition partner Komeito, forced Abe to scrap it.

"I apologize to the people for creating confusion in the decision-making process," Abe told reporters.

Abe brought up Japan's heavy reliance on medical supplies, apologizing "as the prime minister" for a shortage of masks and other protective gear for medical personnel treating coronavirus patients.

"It's a problem that we depend heavily on foreign sources, especially China," he said.

On U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to cut off funding for the World Health Organization over alleged mismanagement of the pandemic, Abe said, "Japan is not considering reducing its contribution," adding that "we must support the WHO."

"It is true that [the WHO] has its problems and challenges," he said. "We should fully examine its functioning after the coronavirus outbreak is under control."

The cash handouts, designed to cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to cost 14 trillion yen ($130 billion), the prime minister said. Although Abe did not specify when exactly the cash would get to households, he said it would take "another week" for it to be deliberated in parliament.

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