Administrative Inspection in Japan
| Date | 01 June 1982 |
| Author | The Administrative Management Agency |
| DOI | 10.1177/002085238204800213 |
| Published date | 01 June 1982 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Administrative Inspection in Japan
UDC : 35.078.3 (52)
by
THE ADMINISTRATIVE
MANAGEMENT AGENCY
I. THE PRESENT SITUATION OF THE
INSPECTION SYSTEMS
(1) Audit
.1. Inspection Systems Concerning National
An audit is carried out of national finance
Affairs
and accounts by the Board of Audit. The
There
scope of the audit covers the State’s revenue
are, broadly speaking, two inspection
and expenditure, cash transactions, articles
systems concerning national affairs in Japan :
and properties possessed by the State, and
one is outside the government, and the other
the financial
is internal. The former is carried out by the
management of corporations
where the State invests more than one half
Board of Audit, established under Article 90
of its
of the Constitution of Japan, which audits
capital. The main objective is to exam-
ine the
the final
legality of execution, and the results
accounts of State revenue and ex-
of these
penditure. The latter, inspection within the
inspections are then reported to the
Diet.
According to the report on the in-
government, as a self-examining arrangement
of the
spection of settlements for the 1979 fiscal
respective administrative
year,
organs under
there were 157 cases of
the control of the
subjects
Cabinet, is
judged either
roughly divided
into
illegal or
the
inappropriate in relation to the laws,
following three categories.
ordinances and the budget, which amounted
(i) External inspection of the respective min-
to 23 billion yen.
istries and agencies, conducted by government
agencies, as part of administrative management
(2) Administrative Inspection
(administrative inspection of the Administrative
.
Management Agency (AMA), and investiga-
Administrative inspection is the examination
tions concerning the execution of the budget
and evaluation of the overall execution of the
by the
administration’s
Ministry of Finance, for example).
tasks conducted by a third
(ii) Investigation into special affairs conducted
party within the government, that is the Ad-
ministrative Inspection Bureau of the Admin-
by the ministries and agencies themselves, by
istrative Management Agency. The objective
setting up a special organ, when they are
of administrative
in
inspection is to look into
charge of business which needs particularly
the business of the administrative
strict
agencies.
management (investigation of the Nation-
The
al Tax Administration Agency, inspection of
scope of this examination covers not
only the business of the various administrative
posts and telecommunications by the Ministry
agencies, but also that of public corporations
of Posts and Telecommunications, etc.).
and local government which execute affairs
(iii) Internal investigations conducted by the
which are delegated or subsidized by the na-
respective ministries and agencies themselves
tional government. After inspection, recom-
to check on their business affairs in general.
mendations are made to the competent min-
(This type of investigation is usually con-
isters.
In 1980, there were 16 inspection
ducted by the secretariat sections of the res-
cases (inquiries) conducted on a nationwide
pective ministries and agencies.)
scale with the aim of reviewing the system
In the case of corporations with a mandate
and improving the execution, and 136 in-
from the national government to carry out
spection cases (inquiries, conducted on a re-
state business operations (so-called public cor-
gional scale with the aim of adjusting the in-
porations), there is also a system of internal
appropriateness of administrative operations.
investigation. Since a public corporation is
instrumentally responsible for carrying out the
(3) Investigation of the Execution of the
State’s policies, it is subject to inspection by
Budget by the Ministry of Finance
government agencies.
Internally, there are
This is an investigation of the process of
usually auditors in charge of checking finan-
execution of the budget. It is conducted by
cial affairs, and an organ in the corporation
the Ministry of Finance, which is in charge
concerning the business as a whole.
of planning and drafting the national budget.
The brief description of each inspection is
The scope of the investigation covers the ad-
as follows.
ministrative agencies, and extends to the re-
220
cipients of subsidies and those who have
istries and agencies and assist in the self-
entered into public works contracts. When
examination of affairs, finance, and the duties
necessary, the Finance Minister is authorized
of the organization. Normally, officials who
to give instructions on the execution of the
handle internal investigations are concurrently
budget after a decision has been taken at a
in charge of other business activities. The
Cabinet meeting. There were 24 investigation
emphasis of internal investigations tends to
cases conducted during the 1979 fiscal year,
be placed on financial aspects. These offices
many of which were devoted to the expenses
assume the function of a communication chan-
of disaster reconstruction work.
nel for external inspection by other govern-
ment organs.
(4) Investigations of Special Affairs
There is a special investigation system for
those affairs which necessitate the exercise
of
(6) Internal Investigation of Public Corpora-
strong public authority, and those affairs
tions
related to monetary business or contracts
where a particularly fair execution policy must
be ensured. - Investigation of the National Po-
Other than external
lice Agency, investigation of national
investigations
tax by
by ad-
ministrative
the National Tax Administration Agency, in-
inspection and audit, the com-
spection of
petent ministers supervise and control the
posts and postal savings by the
gen-
eral
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, in-
management of public corporations. The
internal
vestigation by the Ministry of Construction
investigation system of public
are
corpora-
tions is divided in
illustrative of this
two; investigations made
system. The main
by
purpose
the auditor in
of these investigations is the prosecution of
charge of investigations, and
crime and the maintenance of morality.
investigations made by the section in charge
of internal...
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