Tokyo, Oct. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday declined to replace agriculture minister Kazuo Yana over his remarks about road construction funding cuts at municipalities whose leaders supported his rival in the February general election. “I strongly reprimanded him because the remarks were inappropriate,” Takaichi told a plenary meeting of the Senate, the upper chamber previously called the House of Councillors, for party leaders to ask questions about her policy speech. Asked about her responsibility for her appointment of Yana by Masayo Tanabu, secretary-general of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Takaichi also emphasized her expectations for him to fulfill his duties. During the Senate meeting, Yana himself vowed to “do his utmost” in the post. Tanabu also asked Takaichi to clarify financial resources for plans to lower the consumption tax rate on food and introduce income-linked benefits for low- and middle-income workers. The prime minister responded that the government will secure the resources by reviewing both expenditures and revenues, not relying on deficit-covering bonds. “No hole should be left in social security funding,” she said. Regarding subsidies to curb electricity and gas bills amid the persisting Middle East turmoil, Takaichi said that the government will act “appropriately” over whether to provide additional support to households toward winter after closely monitoring the impact of energy price fluctuations. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
