企業債務の増大懸念　デジタル、温暖化対策で成長を―経財白書

　西村康稔経済財政担当相は２４日の閣議に、２０２１年度の年次経済財政報告（経済財政白書）を提出した。新型コロナウイルス禍で緊急事態宣言が断続的に発令される中、日本経済は「景気回復局面にあるものの、その歩みは緩やか」と分析。ワクチン接種が拡大する一方、企業債務の増大や部品供給不足を先行きの「懸念」に挙げた。その上でデジタル化や温暖化対策を加速させ、経済成長を目指すよう訴えた。
　白書では、内需の柱である個人消費は「一進一退の動き」と指摘。ただ、昨年の特別定額給付金の支給もあり、家計部門の現金預金残高（借入金増減を控除）は、コロナ禍前の１９年に比べ２１年３月末に増加幅が約３５兆円も上振れした。経済の正常化が進めば消費回復につながると期待されている。
　一方、政府の資金繰り支援もあり、倒産件数は過去５０年間で最も低い水準で推移するが、企業債務も急膨張。民間非金融企業の債務残高は２１年６月末時点で、１６年からコロナ禍前までの４年間のトレンドよりも約２７兆円も膨らんでいる。特に飲食・宿泊業の過剰債務は深刻で、今後は「感染対策を講じながら経済の稼働水準を高めることが必要」と指摘した。
　また、半導体不足や東南アジアでのコロナ拡大による部品調達難で自動車減産の動きが広がる中、サプライチェーン（供給網）の強靱（きょうじん）化の必要性を強調。内閣府のアンケート調査では、製造業全体で７割弱の企業が感染拡大を契機とした供給網の見直しを検討していないという。（2021/09/24-11:09）

The Japanese government in a fiscal 2021 white paper Friday expressed concerns about an increase in corporate debts amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
   The country's economy is in a recovery phase, but the pace of pickup is slow due to the intermittent declarations of a state of emergency over the coronavirus crisis, said the Annual Report on the Japanese Economy and Public Finance, which was submitted to a cabinet meeting by economic and fiscal policy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura the same day.
   While noting progress in vaccinations against the virus, the report raised concerns over increasing corporate debts and shortages of parts supplies. It called for accelerating economic growth through the promotion of digitalization and measures against global warming.
   Consumer spending, which makes up a major part of domestic demand, is moving up and down, according to the report. But the size of growth in the balance of cash and deposits at households as of the end of March 2021 compared with 2019, before the start of the pandemic, turned out about 35 trillion yen larger than expected thanks in part to a COVID-19 relief program by the government in which 100,000 yen was given per person to all citizens in the country last year.
   Corporate bankruptcies are at the lowest level in the past 50 years thanks to the government's financing aid and other measures, but corporate debts are soaring. As of the end of June this year, combined debts at nonfinancial firms in the private sector were some 27 trillion yen more than the level estimated based on the trend in the four years to 2019.