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| Funds to help Japan tsunami victims find work spent in unaffected areas | Funds to help Japan tsunami victims find work spent in unaffected areas |
| (4 months later) | |
| More than ¥100bn (£650m) of a special budget set up to help victims of Japan's March 2011 triple disaster find work has been spent on projects that have no connection to the tragedy, including cheese and wine promotions. | More than ¥100bn (£650m) of a special budget set up to help victims of Japan's March 2011 triple disaster find work has been spent on projects that have no connection to the tragedy, including cheese and wine promotions. |
| Tens of billions of yen earmarked for employment schemes was spent on a range of initiatives located far from the tsunami-hit region, such as counting sea turtles, publishing a restaurant guide and publicising a mascot for a local prefecture, a Japanese newspaper said. | Tens of billions of yen earmarked for employment schemes was spent on a range of initiatives located far from the tsunami-hit region, such as counting sea turtles, publishing a restaurant guide and publicising a mascot for a local prefecture, a Japanese newspaper said. |
| The evidence of wasteful public spending, uncovered by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, will come as an embarrassment to the government, months after it was revealed that a quarter of the ¥11.7tn the government initially allocated to rebuild the region had been spent on other unrelated projects. | The evidence of wasteful public spending, uncovered by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, will come as an embarrassment to the government, months after it was revealed that a quarter of the ¥11.7tn the government initially allocated to rebuild the region had been spent on other unrelated projects. |
| The Asahi found that ¥108.5bn of the ¥200bn employment budget had been spent in 38 prefectures other than the nine that were affected by the 11 March disaster, in which more than 18,000 people died. | The Asahi found that ¥108.5bn of the ¥200bn employment budget had been spent in 38 prefectures other than the nine that were affected by the 11 March disaster, in which more than 18,000 people died. |
| Those nine include Iwate and Miyagi, which were hardest hit by the tsunami, and Fukushima, scene of a triple meltdown that forced more than 150,000 people to leave their homes. | Those nine include Iwate and Miyagi, which were hardest hit by the tsunami, and Fukushima, scene of a triple meltdown that forced more than 150,000 people to leave their homes. |
| The government's top spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said the Asahi's claims were being investigated. "After seeing the results, we will take firm measures with a view to stricter rules [on the use of funds]," he told reporters. | The government's top spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said the Asahi's claims were being investigated. "After seeing the results, we will take firm measures with a view to stricter rules [on the use of funds]," he told reporters. |
| On the second anniversary of the disaster, more than 300,000 people were still living in temporary accommodation; many have been unable to find new jobs. | On the second anniversary of the disaster, more than 300,000 people were still living in temporary accommodation; many have been unable to find new jobs. |
| The money, which was spent under the previous Democratic party of Japan administration, was intended to help survivors find employment, but a breakdown shows that 97% of people who were given jobs were unaffected by the disaster. | The money, which was spent under the previous Democratic party of Japan administration, was intended to help survivors find employment, but a breakdown shows that 97% of people who were given jobs were unaffected by the disaster. |
| Of the 65,000 people employed under the scheme, just 2,000 came from the disaster-hit region, the Asahi said. | Of the 65,000 people employed under the scheme, just 2,000 came from the disaster-hit region, the Asahi said. |
| The paper speculated that local authorities across the country had exploited ambiguous rules governing distribution of the funds to create jobs for local residents. | The paper speculated that local authorities across the country had exploited ambiguous rules governing distribution of the funds to create jobs for local residents. |
| Officials in Kagoshima prefecture, located more than 600 miles (1,000km) south-west of the damaged coastline, spent ¥3m employing 10 people to count sea turtles as they came ashore as part of a conservation project. | Officials in Kagoshima prefecture, located more than 600 miles (1,000km) south-west of the damaged coastline, spent ¥3m employing 10 people to count sea turtles as they came ashore as part of a conservation project. |
| "We were not even asked to move eggs to a safe place," the Asahi quoted one of the employees as saying. "The project did not help sea turtles, let alone disaster victims." | "We were not even asked to move eggs to a safe place," the Asahi quoted one of the employees as saying. "The project did not help sea turtles, let alone disaster victims." |
| Central government officials defended the spending, saying many survivors of the disaster had relocated to areas across Japan. | Central government officials defended the spending, saying many survivors of the disaster had relocated to areas across Japan. |
| The data showed, however, that 12 of the prefectures employed fewer than 10 survivors, including one each among almost 2,000 people hired using tsunami budget cash in Yamaguchi and Miyazaki prefectures, both located hundreds of kilometres away. | The data showed, however, that 12 of the prefectures employed fewer than 10 survivors, including one each among almost 2,000 people hired using tsunami budget cash in Yamaguchi and Miyazaki prefectures, both located hundreds of kilometres away. |
| Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic party came to office last December promising to speed up the recovery after criticism that his predecessor, Yoshihiko Noda, had failed to quickly provide proper homes and jobs to displaced people. | Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic party came to office last December promising to speed up the recovery after criticism that his predecessor, Yoshihiko Noda, had failed to quickly provide proper homes and jobs to displaced people. |
| The following month, Abe increased the disaster reconstruction budget from ¥19tn to ¥25tn over five years. | The following month, Abe increased the disaster reconstruction budget from ¥19tn to ¥25tn over five years. |
| Building work in the dozens of towns and villages affected by the tsunami has helped create jobs, but little has been done to find long-term work for farmers and fishermen whose industries were seriously damaged by the tsunami and nuclear accident. | Building work in the dozens of towns and villages affected by the tsunami has helped create jobs, but little has been done to find long-term work for farmers and fishermen whose industries were seriously damaged by the tsunami and nuclear accident. |
| Officials admitted there was little they could do to check how money was spent once it has been distributed to local authorities. | Officials admitted there was little they could do to check how money was spent once it has been distributed to local authorities. |
| This is not the first time officials have had to explain the misuse of reconstruction funds. | This is not the first time officials have had to explain the misuse of reconstruction funds. |
| Questionable expenditures for the 2011 portion of the disaster recovery budget included ¥500m for road construction in Okinawa, more than 1,000 miles (1,750km) away, and ¥330m to repair a sports stadium in Tokyo. | Questionable expenditures for the 2011 portion of the disaster recovery budget included ¥500m for road construction in Okinawa, more than 1,000 miles (1,750km) away, and ¥330m to repair a sports stadium in Tokyo. |
| Most controversially, ¥2.3bn went to the fisheries agency to protect Japan's whaling fleet from harassment by the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd. | Most controversially, ¥2.3bn went to the fisheries agency to protect Japan's whaling fleet from harassment by the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd. |
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