TOKYO, April 28 (UPI) -- Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has called on governors and mayors to decline their retirement bonuses because he regards them as excessive.
"The retirement allowances for governors and mayors are too high. I don't need one, so we should urge them to give up their bonus," Koizumi told a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy Thursday.
He made the remarks in response to a proposal that personnel expenses of public servants should be reduced and that the number of government workers should be slashed, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Friday.
Kaoru Yosano, minister for economic and fiscal policy, said that Koizumi regards as excessive the $350,000 and $175,000 retirement bonuses given to governors and mayors, respectively, who have served a single four-year term.
The retirement bonus for Koizumi, who has served five years as head of the government, would come to $57,000.
