Takaichi Asks DPFP to Join New National Council

Tokyo, March 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday called again on the opposition Democratic Party for the People to participate in a new national council discussing a proposed consumption tax cut and an envisaged refundable tax credit system. At the day’s House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on the government’s draft fiscal 2026 budget, DPFP members, including Satoshi Asano and Hideko Nishioka, proposed the introduction of a program combining a residential tax cut and a refund of social insurance premiums. “If the party has a concrete proposal on the matter, including on funding, I want it to join the national council so that we can discuss the suggestion together as a viable (social security) plan,” Takaichi said. On the proposed two-year consumption tax exemption for food products, Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said that the tax rate will return to the current 8 pct after the end of the suspension period, responding to a question from DPFP member Shinji Nagatomo. Answering a question from Toshihide Muraoka, also a DPFP member, Takaichi said that her 100 pct food self-sufficiency goal does not mean that “all individual items will be produced in Japan,” but represents “an aim to achieve 100 pct for food items overall.” Replying to Sanseito’s Rina Yoshikawa, Takaichi said that she has instructed relevant cabinet ministers to discuss establishing the basis for allowing people who changed their surnames upon marriage to use only their original family names on some documents. The prime minister, however, emphasized the need for discussions on the use of both original and married names on documents requiring strict verification of identification, such as passports, driver’s licenses and My Number cards. Alex Saito, policy chief of the Japan Innovation Party, called for the early establishment of a secondary capital in Japan, as featured in the ruling coalition agreement struck between the LDP and the JIP last October. Noting that the matter is being discussed by a council of the ruling parties, Takaichi said, “I hope a conclusion will be reached as soon as possible.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]