Tokyo ? Japan’s prime minister apologized Friday for a growing scandal over millions of lost pension records and promised to deliver policies focusing on consumers and everyday people.

The government has previously acknowledged losing track of more than 50 million pension records in a scandal that damaged the ruling party, playing a role in its loss of control of parliament’s upper house in nationwide elections in July.

“The political responsibility is heavy,” Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said at a New Year’s news conference. “I offer my apologies.”

Japan had long boasted what was widely seen as relatively solid government-backed social security system. But people were stunned to learn that bureaucrats had kept shoddy records, many claims were erroneously rejected and millions of records were missing or incorrect.