ID :
198857
Wed, 08/03/2011 - 09:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/198857
The shortlink copeid
Japanese Law on Nuclear Accident Compensation Enacted
Tokyo, Aug. 3 (Jiji Press)--Japan's parliament enacted Wednesday legislation to create a framework for compensation payments to victims of the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The government-sponsored bill was approved at a House of Coucillors plenary session. It passed the House of Representatives in late July.
The government plans to put the law into force as early as Aug. 10 and set up an organization to help pay for the nuclear accident damage by the end of this month.
With the establishment of the new body, the utility, known as TEPCO, will be pressed to make swift compensation payments to people affected by the nuclear accident.
At a news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano welcomed the enactment, calling it a big step forward in terms of support for disaster sufferers.
TEPCO said in a statement that it will proceed with fair and expeditious payments of compensation with state assistance.
The new law calls for the establishment of the entity in case the total amount of nuclear accident damages surpasses 120 billion yen, the maximum sum the government is required to cover under a relevant law.
The bill has been amended with the addition of an expression referring to the government's responsibility to take all possible measures to make sure that compensation payments are made.
The government bears this responsibility because it has been promoting the use of nuclear energy, the legislation says.
Under the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2011, the government has set aside funds needed to issue special government bonds totaling up to 2 trillion yen to the new organization and give repayment guarantee to the entity's fund procurement of up to 2 trillion yen.
For the time being, the organization will turn the government bonds into cash to provide compensation funds to TEPCO.
It will pay back the money to state coffers, using contributions to be received every year from TEPCO and 10 other operators of nuclear power plants or related facilities.
The government-sponsored bill was approved at a House of Coucillors plenary session. It passed the House of Representatives in late July.
The government plans to put the law into force as early as Aug. 10 and set up an organization to help pay for the nuclear accident damage by the end of this month.
With the establishment of the new body, the utility, known as TEPCO, will be pressed to make swift compensation payments to people affected by the nuclear accident.
At a news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano welcomed the enactment, calling it a big step forward in terms of support for disaster sufferers.
TEPCO said in a statement that it will proceed with fair and expeditious payments of compensation with state assistance.
The new law calls for the establishment of the entity in case the total amount of nuclear accident damages surpasses 120 billion yen, the maximum sum the government is required to cover under a relevant law.
The bill has been amended with the addition of an expression referring to the government's responsibility to take all possible measures to make sure that compensation payments are made.
The government bears this responsibility because it has been promoting the use of nuclear energy, the legislation says.
Under the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2011, the government has set aside funds needed to issue special government bonds totaling up to 2 trillion yen to the new organization and give repayment guarantee to the entity's fund procurement of up to 2 trillion yen.
For the time being, the organization will turn the government bonds into cash to provide compensation funds to TEPCO.
It will pay back the money to state coffers, using contributions to be received every year from TEPCO and 10 other operators of nuclear power plants or related facilities.
