Komeito seeking aid to freelancers hit by virus outbreak

March 6 , 2020

On March 5, Komeito House of Councilors member Hiromi Takase spoke at the chamber’s Budget Committee and called for assistance to be provided to individuals working on a freelance basis. Freelance workers have been particularly hard hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Takase seeks to extend them zero-interest loans as quickly as possible.

Takase also pointed out that foreign students who were originally slated to begin Japanese language lessons at schools in the country, have been withdrawing from these programs due to the pandemic. She said that students who have been granted study visas must arrive in Japan within three months from the time the visa was issued but are now faced with the difficult decision of either abandoning plans to study in Japan or going through the visa application all over again. Instead, Takase is asking the justice ministry to extend the visa expiration date to six months.

She then turned to reforming the work environment of part-time housewives, calling on firms to adopt paid-vacation programs and for the government to set up help centers for both employer and employee.

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