Takaichi Eyeing Economic Measures Soon after Becoming PM

Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Thursday indicated a plan to instruct the government to compile economy-boosting measures immediately if she becomes the next prime minister. She held out the plan in a television program of Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, the country’s public broadcaster. Takaichi hopes that a fiscal 2025 supplementary state budget to finance stimulus measures will be enacted during an extraordinary session of the Diet, or parliament, seen to be convened shortly. In the TV program, Takaichi, who was elected LDP president Saturday, said that she will work on law revisions to scrap provisional gasoline and gas oil transaction tax surcharges. She said that until the revisions are realized, she plans to increase subsidies to lower gasoline and gas oil prices. Takaichi also said that she plans to expand grants to local governments with an aim to support small companies in regional areas. Votes to elect Japan’s new prime minister to succeed outgoing Shigeru Ishiba will be held at the upcoming extraordinary Diet session. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]