Smaller Parties Also Seek Consumption Tax Cut in Lower House Poll

Tokyo, Jan. 25 (Jiji Press)–As Japan’s ruling bloc and the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance both advocate for lowering the consumption tax on food to zero ahead of the Feb. 8 House of Representatives election, smaller political parties have also announced policy pledges featuring consumption tax cuts. Sanseito and Reiwa Shinsengumi are calling for abolishing the consumption tax, with Sanseito also seeking to lower social security premiums to reduce the proportion of tax and social security burdens to national income to 35 pct or less. The Japanese Communist Party is seeking to lower the consumption tax to 5 pct across the board, while the Social Democratic Party is aiming to reduce it to zero as a measure to combat inflation. Both parties call for raising taxes on large companies to make up for the tax revenue shortfall. The Conservative Party of Japan pledged to permanently reduce the consumption tax on food to zero. Among other policy pledges, Sanseito proposed giving 100,000-yen monthly education benefits per child up to the age of 15, and reviewing what it claimed to be policies for “excessive mother-child separation,” such as the provision of nursery care for infants under the age of one. It also advocated a “no-immigrant state,” seeking to restrict the acceptance of foreign nationals into Japan. The JCP called for raising the hourly minimum wage to 1,700 yen, taxing large firms’ internal reserves to secure funds to aid wage hikes at small businesses, and abolishing national security legislation that enables Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense under certain conditions. It opposed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plan to revise the country’s three key defense documents, and demanded the introduction of a selective dual surname scheme and the legalization of same-sex marriage. Reiwa Shinsengumi vowed to give 100,000 yen to all citizens and to offer 30,000-yen monthly benefits to children until they graduate from high school. It proposed resolving the shortage of nursing care and child care workers by raising their monthly wages by 100,000 yen. The CPJ pledged to drastically review Japan’s policy of accepting foreigners, including restricting family members of people who hold Type 2 specified skilled worker residency status from accompanying them to Japan. It also proposed scrapping an electricity bill surcharge aimed at promoting renewable energy. The SDP sought to halt increases in defense spending. It advocated a peaceful diplomatic approach based on the Japanese Constitution’s war-renouncing Article 9, and sought the abolition of the national security legislation that affirms Japan’s right to collective self-defense. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]