Japan has spent funds intended for
reconstruction after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami on unrelated projects, a
government audit has found. Projects financed by the $150bn (£93bn) fund
include roads in Okinawa, an ad campaign for Japan's tallest building and
support for whaling research. Some 325,000 people remain displaced 18 months on
from the disaster. In some areas little reconstruction work has been carried
out, reports say. Some 19,000 people
were killed or remain missing following the tsunami and earthquake that struck
north-east Japan in March 2011.
The
government has passed a number of supplementary budgets to fund reconstruction
efforts in affected areas. But a government
audit showed money had been used for unrelated projects reportedly included on
the basis that they could boost national economic revival. The findings come at a time when questions are
being asked about the speed of Japan's reconstruction effort.
Takashi
Kubota, deputy mayor of Rikuzentakata, a fishing port where nearly half of the
houses were destroyed, told the Associated Press news agency that "not one
single new building yet" had been built in the destroyed downtown area. "In
19 months, there have basically been no major changes," he said. Speaking
in parliament on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda promised that
problems would be addressed. "There have been various criticisms made
regarding how the budget for reconstruction has been spent," he said. "We must listen sincerely to the voices
calling for the utmost priority to be accorded to disaster area reconstruction.
We will properly provide allowances for budget items that are truly needed by
the disaster-affected areas and strictly narrow down other items."
BBC News
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