The Diet on Friday enacted a revision to the Political Funds Control Law aimed at keeping better tabs on how lawmakers use their funds, though critics charge the legislation is riddled with loopholes and will not result in increased transparency.
The Upper House approved the bill requiring lawmakers' fund management bodies to report expenditures greater than 50,000 yen and attach a receipt. The bill had cleared the Lower House earlier this month.
Crafted by the ruling bloc, the legislation is an attempt to mitigate the fallout from the suicide last month of farm minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who had been under attack for declaring huge sums in "office expenses" despite using a rent-free government office where all utility charges were covered.