Japan's main opposition party unveiled on Monday a set of pledges for this summer's upper house election focusing on improving the country's social welfare system to help people receive medical and nursing care services with a sense of security.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said it will aim to create a society in which elderly people can feel secure even if they are "without big savings."
The platform for the election, possibly to be held July 21, was released as the government led by the Liberal Democratic Party has faced strong public criticism over its estimate that a retired couple would face a shortfall of 20 million yen if they live to be 95 years old under the country's pension system.
The opposition party, headed by Yukio Edano, said it will "strengthen the function of minimum guaranteed pension" and introduce an upper limit for taxpayers' combined expenses on medical and nursing care services.
The CDPJ also vowed to freeze the government's plan to raise the consumption tax from 8 percent to 10 percent in October, but said it will review the current corporate tax rates to secure funds to finance new programs worth up to 2 trillion yen.
