Six Cabinet members who failed to pay their mandatory national pension premiums said Friday they will not follow in the footsteps of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda and step down.
Most of the ministers said Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told them not to resign.
The six include Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and economic and fiscal policy minister Heizo Takenaka -- the main architects of the nation's future pension schemes. Takenaka doubles as financial services minister.