Category Archives: Cooperatives

【Interview】 Objections to government’s agricultural co-op reform plan (Jan. 22, 2015)

  <As debate heats up over reforming agricultural co-operatives, the Japan agricultural co-op group and Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers close to the agricultural sector are strongly offended by the government’s stance to radically reform the JA group’s auditing system and non-farmer members’ use of JAs’ services. Following is an interview with Shinji Hatta, professor of Aoyama Gakuin University’s Graduate School of Professional Accountancy, regarding the points at issue.> Agricultural co-operatives’ auditing system has become the focus of debate over reforming the JA group, but the issue is being discussed without any input from accounting experts. I totally disagree with government officials who say that auditing by the Central Union of … Continue reading

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【News】 LDP lawmakers opposed to government’s proposals on agricultural co-op reform (Jan. 21, 2015)

  The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s project team held its first meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to discuss revision of the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law. Many of some 130 lawmakers with farming connections who attended the meeting expressed opposition to the government’s proposals, including letting outside accountants conduct audits of primary agricultural co-ops and restricting non-farmers’ use of JAs’ services. They also stressed the importance of reflecting farmers’ voices in the process of revision. The government plans to compile a bill to revise the law early next month, but it would be difficult for the parties concerned to reach a consensus on the issue. Lower House member Takamori Yoshikawa who … Continue reading

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【News】 Ruling bloc to discuss agricultural co-op auditing reform (Jan. 19, 2015)

  The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito will begin intensive discussion this week to prepare a bill to revise the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law, focusing on auditing of primary agricultural co-ops. Agriculture minister Koya Nishikawa is aiming at abolishing the current system of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) conducting audits on primary JAs and introducing auditing by outside accountants. However, the idea contradicts with the ministry’s previous standpoint and Nishikawa has failed to explain reasonably how it will contribute to improving farmers’ income. The LDP’s project team on the law revision headed by Lower House member Takamori Yoshikawa will hold meetings starting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and … Continue reading

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【News】 Memorial service to mark 20th anniversary of 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake took place in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture (Jan. 18, 2015)

On January 17, 2015, tens of thousands of people in Hyogo Prefecture gathered at events to commemorate the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The memorial service to mark the 20th anniversary of the earthquake was also given in Awaji-shi, the city on the Awaji Island known for stock farming and growing onions and loquats, attended by a great number of people including quake-hit farmers. At 5:46 in the morning, the exact time of the earthquake, they prayed for the victims, reaffirming the importance of handing down the lessons learnt from the disasters from generation to generation. The earthquake took the lives of 63 Awaji islanders including some who … Continue reading

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【News】 Agricultural co-ops’ auditing should be done by outside accountants: agriculture minister (Jan. 10, 2015)

  Agriculture minister Koya Nishikawa said on Friday, Jan. 9 that the obligation for primary JAs to have their accounts audited by the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) should be abolished and a new system of auditing by outside accountants should be introduced. Nishikawa’s remarks are highly likely to face strong opposition from the JA group and ruling Liberal Democratic Party members close to the group, who believe abolishing the current system which includes both financial and business management auditing would mean increasing costs for primary JAs. Auditing of primary JAs is a major focus of discussions on agricultural co-operative reform, which will heat up later this month as … Continue reading

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