LDP, Komeito, CDP Agree to Begin Refundable Tax Credit Talks

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner, Komeito, and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan agreed Friday to begin discussions on a refundable tax credit program next week. At the meeting, Prime Minister and LDP President Shigeru Ishiba called for a panel be set up as soon as possible, with the parties’ policy chiefs playing a central role in the discussions on the matter. The proposed refundable tax credit program was one of the CDP’s campaign pledges for July’s election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country’s parliament. Ishiba, who has announced that he will step down, indicated that the talks will continue under the next LDP president. The outgoing prime minister also said that he hopes to hold discussions on the future of social security, including tax systems. He vowed to step up discussions on abolishing the provisional gasoline tax rate by the end of the year, as well as to continue talks on political reform, including a review of corporate donations to political parties. At the meeting, CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda called for discussions on such issues to begin promptly. After the meeting, which was also attended by Komeito chief Tetsuo Saito, Ishiba told reporters that there were “no changes” to the current plan of advancing talks with other parties, regardless of the outcome of the Oct. 4 LDP presidential election to choose his successor. Noda praised Ishiba’s efforts, saying, “He gave a sincere response at the very end (of his time as LDP leader).” Other discussions, including those on the provisional gasoline tax rate, will “begin next week,” Noda said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]