国际英语资讯:Support rate for Japanese PM Abe falls due to pension system controversy

TOKYO, June 16 -- The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet decreased to 47.6 percent, down 2.9 percent compared to the previous poll in mid-May, due to controversy over possible flaws in Japan's pension system, a poll conducted by Kyodo News revealed Sunday.

According to the nationwide telephone poll conducted over the weekend, the disapproval rating for the cabinet stood at 38.1 percent, up from 36.2 percent in the mid-May survey.

The poll showed that 63.8 percent of the respondents think Japan's public pension system is not reliable, after the government backpedaled over its estimate that a retired couple would be in a shortfall of 20 million yen (184,000 U.S. dollars) under the system if they live to be 95 years old.

Only 28.2 percent say they view the pension system as reliable.

The estimate on pension system, released this month by a panel under the Financial Services Agency, was disapproved by the government on Tuesday, with Finance Minister Taro Aso saying it had caused "misunderstanding."

Among the surveyed, 71.3 percent thought Aso's refusal to accept the report was problematic, while only 19.1 percent did not think so.