宝くじ：収益が天下り法人に　年３６０億円超

宝くじの売り上げの流れ（０８年度）　年間１兆円を超す宝くじの売り上げのうち３６０億円余りが、総務省所管の日本宝くじ協会や全国市町村振興協会など少なくとも１２５の公益法人に、複数年にわたって助成金などの名目で流れていることが、総務省の資料で分かった。１２５法人への天下りは常勤役員だけで１３３人（０８年１２月時点）に上り、天下りが５代以上続く法人も１７ある。地方の財源確保が目的の売り上げが、天下りの人件費など公益法人の運営に転用されている構図が浮かんだ。

　◇「隠れ補助金」の疑い

　行政刷新会議は「総務省の隠れ補助金」として使われている例があるとみており、２０日からの事業仕分けでも取り上げる方針だ。

　総務省の資料によると、０８年度の宝くじの売り上げは１兆４１９億円。分配比率は当せん金付証票法などで定められ、公益法人には３ルートで流れる。０８年度の場合、経費から「委託宣伝費」として▽日本宝くじ協会に１８３億円▽自治総合センターに９８億円－－を支出。都道府県に渡した収益金からも、全国市町村振興協会など４法人が「地方行政に資する目的」などの名目で８２億円を吸い上げた。これら６法人のうち３法人から、再委託や再交付の形で１２２法人以上に流れていた。各ルートの窓口となる３法人の理事長は、元自治省の事務次官や元消防庁長官が務める。

　日本宝くじ協会から「宣伝」を再委託された公益法人が実施した業務は、本来の趣旨との関係性が不透明なものが多い。

　０８年度に５９９０万円を受けた地方公務員等ライフプラン協会は地方公務員の生活設計をアドバイスする機関誌を発行。２３００万円を受けた日本地下鉄協会は、沿線ガイドや広報誌「ＳＵＢＷＡＹ」を作成した。６３０万円の日本キャンプ協会は大型テント４種、３１５万円の日本カヌー連盟はカヌーポロ艇を購入したという。

　こうした機関誌やテントなどには「宝くじの売り上げから助成を受けた」などと表示され、宝くじ協会は「当せん金付証票法で『住民理解を深める』ための事業ならば宣伝として認められる」と説明している。【小山由宇】

Funds from lottery takings funneled to public utility groups that hire ex-bureaucrats

Approximately 36 billion yen from over 1 trillion yen in annual proceeds from lotteries have been funneled to at least 125 public utility organizations that employ retired bureaucrats as executives, the government's internal documents have shown.

The revelations have demonstrated that part of the proceeds from lotteries, which are supposed to be used to help local governments secure financial resources, have been diverted to public utility organizations to cover their expenses, including wages for former bureaucrats who have landed post-retirement jobs in them.

The Government Revitalization Unit suspects that part of proceeds from lotteries have been used as the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry's secret subsidies to public utility bodies, and will raise the issue during its next session that begins on Thursday to identify wasteful public projects.

Proceeds from lotteries amounted to 1.042 trillion yen in fiscal 2008, according to the ministry's internal documents.

Of the amount, 18.3 billion yen was paid to the Japan Lottery Association and 9.8 billion yen to the Japan Center for Local Autonomy as commissions for lottery advertisements. Moreover, four other organizations including the Japan Municipal Development Corp. siphoned off 8.2 billion yen of the proceeds that had been provided to prefectural governments under the pretext of using the money to contribute to local autonomy.

Three of these six organizations funneled the 36.3 billion yen to 122 organizations to farm out some work to them or as subsidies.

The 125 organizations employed 133 full-time executives as of the end of December 2008. Moreover, the three organizations that funneled the money to the 122 organizations have been headed by former administrative vice home affairs ministers and former directors general of the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Questions remain as to whether the projects are consistent with the purpose of the contracts for the public utility organizations that received sub-subcontract work to advertise the lottery program from the Japan Lottery Association.

The All Japan Life Planning System for Local Government Personnel, which received 59.9 million yen from the lottery proceeds in fiscal 2008, published newsletters advising local government workers about life planning.

The Japan Subway Association that received 23 million yen published a guidebook on areas along subway lines and public relations newsletters. The National Camping Association of Japan, which got 6.3 million yen, purchased four large tents while the Japan Canoe Federation that received 3.15 million yen bought a vessel.

Their newsletters and tents clearly state that they were subsidized from proceeds from lotteries.

The Japan Lottery Association justified the ways the organizations used the subsidies and commissions. "If they use the money to deepen people's understanding of lotteries, then it can be recognized as lottery advertisements."

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(Mainichi Japan) May 17, 2010