Japan Plans to Promote Rice Coupons in Economic Package

Tokyo, Nov. 10 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to include a proposal encouraging the use of rice coupons in its upcoming comprehensive economic measures, to cushion the impact of high rice prices, government sources said Monday. The plan, originally proposed by agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki, aims to ease the burden of low-income and child-rearing households hit by persistently high rice prices. Under the program, the government would expand an existing priority support local grant program that allows regional governments to flexibly decide how to use the funds to counter rising energy and food prices. Rice coupons would be added as an eligible use in the program. Some local governments have already distributed such coupons, and the central government would be seeking to broaden such efforts. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has made curbing inflation her top priority, told the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Monday that the government is considering whether to add rice coupons to the list of recommended projects under the priority support local grant program. The average retail price of rice has been hovering above 4,000 yen per 5 kilograms, contributing to higher overall living costs. Critics, however, argue that rice coupons entail administrative and mailing costs and do not address the root causes of rising rice prices. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]