Consumer minister Noda's party ticket bought by Amway Japan

Oct 16 10:30 PM US/Eastern

TOKYO, Oct. 17 (AP) - (Kyodo) — The state minister in charge of consumer affairs, Seiko Noda, said Friday that networking marketing company Amway Japan Ltd. bought eight fundraising tickets for her party for 160,000 yen from 2002 to April this year.

Noda, however, ruled out stepping down over the issue as she spoke at a press conference, saying the company's financial contribution to her had nothing to do with the comments she has made in favor of the industry.

Noda, a lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said she will return the money to the company.

She told parliament Thursday that she made comments 12 years ago in favor of the multi-level marketing industry, arguing at the Diet that one-sided criticisms against it might discourage the creation of a new industry.

Her remarks came after Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Yukichi Maeda left the main opposition over collusive links with the industry, which has sometimes caused problems with consumers over bids and the return of goods.

According to the Diet minutes, Noda told the House of Representatives Commerce and Industry Committee in April 1996, "Door-to-door sales in the form of chain or multi-level marketing are in the consumers' interest...The industry has implemented its own voluntary controls, helping to create a number of good dealers."

"Consumers must be clever and strong...Protection alone does not necessarily lead to good consumer (protection) activities," she said at that time.

On Thursday, Noda told the House of Councillors Budget Committee session that Japanese consumers "have dealt with the large damage (from pyramid sales) in the following 12 years."

"I'd like to tighten controls (on the pyramid sales industry) and do my best (as consumer affairs minister) to reduce the number of people who fall victim to such sales practices due to a lack of knowledge," she said.

Noda assumed the post of minister of state for science and technology policy, food safety, and also for consumer affairs in Prime Minister Taro Aso's Cabinet in late September.

Aso and his predecessor Yasuo Fukuda have both signaled the importance of a consumer-oriented administration, in a departure from a producer- and seller-oriented one, ahead of the next general election widely expected to be called soon.