Both Ruling, Opposition Officials Tout Consumption Tax Cut

Tokyo, Jan. 18 (Jiji Press)–Senior officials from Japan’s ruling and opposition camps both expressed willingness to cut the consumption tax, in a television debate on Sunday ahead of the anticipated general election. Shunichi Suzuki, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, indicated that the party is positive about including in its campaign platform a plan to temporarily reduce the consumption tax rate to zero for food products. Last October, the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party signed a coalition agreement calling for considering a legislative step to exempt food and beverage items from the tax for two years. “Our basic stance is to realize what is stated in the coalition agreement in good faith,” Suzuki said during the debate program. Jun Azumi, secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, which has formed a new party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, jointly with Komeito, the LDP’s former coalition partner, argued that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s economic policies are insufficient. “We would like to present a consumption tax cut as a visible measure against inflation,” Azumi said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]