Abe Administration Submitted the Bill to Assign "Mai Nanbaa" (My Number) for Every Single Japanese, Likely to Pass With Ease

Nikkei Shinbun writes up an article telling people "Well, it's so good for you, it's for your (and bureaucrats') convenience in mind."

"Mai Nanbaa", or My Number if it were in English, but the word is actually what I would call "Japlish" - a strange class of words that uses English words but the original meaning of English word is totally lost on the Japanese. It's much like "Mai Kaa" or My Car, which is in Japan a car that you own for your private use.

"Mai Nanbaa" will be like "Mai Kaa", your own cute little number that goes with you wherever you go.

The same concept had been tried by politicians for decades, but each time it met a resistance. The concept had a different word assigned to it - 国民総番号制度, which literally says "Assigning every single citizen with ID number".

So, the politicians and those who are closely connected to the politicians got smart. First, they diluted and loosened the Japanese language with strange-sounding Katakana English (which I call "Japlish") so that no one can actually figure out exactly what these strange words mean. Then, they introduce this "Mai Nanbaa", without quite telling the citizens that it is a tired old effort given a new facade. Oh it's just like "Mai Kaa", it means it's just so you.

The Kan administration tried to push the "Mai Nanbaa" bill in June 2011, but Mr. Kan stepped down as the prime minister and the bill went nowhere.

The whole point of assigning every single citizen with ID number is to collect taxes more efficiently and ruthlessly, to detect the fraud (very rare in Japan), and most importantly, to save time for the bureaucrats as Nikkei gushes.

There doesn't seem to be any way to opt out.

From Nikkei Shinbun (3/1/2013; part):

「マイナンバー」16年から　税や年金手続き簡単に 政府が法案提出

"My Number" to be introduced in 2016, tax filing and pension application will be easier. The government has submitted the bill.

政府は国民一人ひとりに番号をふり、年金や健康保険などの社会保障給付と納税を１つの個人番号で管理する「共通番号制度」を2016年から導入する。給付の申請や税の確定申告などが簡単になるほか、税・社会保険料の適正な徴収や給付につながる。行財政を効率化するＩＴ（情報技術）政府のインフラが本格的に動き出す。

The national government will introduce "national identification number system" in 2016, which will assign one personal number to each citizen to manage social security payments like pension and health insurance and tax filing. The system will make social security application and tax filing easier, and will lead to accurate collection and distribution of taxes and social insurance premiums. Building of the government IT infrastructure for efficient administration and finance is set to start.

政府は１日、関連法案を閣議決定し、国会に提出した。昨年の衆院解散でいったん廃案になった法案を自民、公明、民主の３党で修正した内容。今の通常国会で成立する公算が大きいが、終盤国会の情勢次第では先延ばしになる可能性もある。

On March 1, the Abe administration approved the bill by cabinet decision, and submitted the bill to the National Diet. The original bill was abandoned because of the dissolution of the Lower House last year, but it has since been amended by Liberal Democratic Party, Komei Party and Democratic Party of Japan. It is highly likely that the bill will pass in the current ordinary session of the Diet, but it is possible that the passage is delayed depending on the situation toward the end of the session.

　番号を利用する各省庁のシステム整備を効率よく進めるため、政府の情報政策を統括する内閣情報通信政策監（政府ＣＩＯ）を内閣官房に置く法案も提出した。

To efficiently install systems in ministries and agencies that will use the number system, a bill has also been submitted to create a position of inspector general of Cabinet Telecommunication Policy (Government Chief Information Officer) within the Cabinet Secretariat.

...番号の利点は複雑な行政手続きの手間が省けそうだ。

The advantage of the number system is that it will save a lot of trouble in complex administrative procedures.

個人の複数の手続きを番号で「名寄せ」することで、適正な税・保険料の徴収や給付につながる可能性も高まる。子ども２人がそれぞれ母親の扶養控除を申告した場合などに、二重適用を防げると政府はみている。

By bundling multiple procedures of an individual into a single number, it will be possible to collect and distribute the proper amount of taxes and insurance premiums. The government [administration] believes it will be easier to prevent double application of tax exemption for dependents when two children each claim the exemption for the same mother.

　プライバシーに配慮し、番号の管理は徹底する。

Consideration will be given to privacy, and management of the numbers will be strict.

Two children claiming tax exemption for their mother? Big deal. Don't they have a better target to go after? Oh I forgot - a better target is an easy target.

Strict management to protect privacy. Sure.

The previous DPJ administration under Naoto Kan didn't even know they had the emergency teleconferencing system when the real big emergency hit them on March 11, 2011. The system remained unconnected. There is no reason for me to believe the LDP administration under the pork cutlet prime minister to be any different.

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