Note 3-53

(53) There are several arguments against the contention that a rise in national burden ratio has depressed economic vitality. The following are some of them: (1) Since people receive various administrative services and social security benefits in exchange for tax burdens and social security contributions, it lacks balance to focus only on the aspect of burden; (2) The public sector may be inefficient as compared with the private sector, but we cannot categorically criticize it as people call for administrative services and income transfers; and (3) Since public income redistribution plays an important role from the aspect of social fairness that cannot be simply judged from the aspect of economic efficiency, it is not proper to stress only the problems involved in income redistribution.