Ishiba Cautious on Consumption Tax Cut

   Manila, April 30 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed caution Wednesday over an opposition proposal to temporarily lower consumption tax on food to zero pct.
   "If it's a one-year measure, we'd have to lower and raise (the tax rate) within a year," Ishiba told reporters during a trip to the Philippines. "There are issues over whether it would be possible to change the system twice in a short period and on administrative burdens."
   While suggesting that the proposed tax cut would alleviate burdens on high-income earners, Ishiba questioned whether it would support low-income earners who "suffer most from higher prices."
   Still, Ishiba said he will thoroughly look at suggestions from Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, the coalition partner of the prime minister's Liberal Democratic Party, that the consumption tax cut is an "option to consider."
   Asked about a proposal from Saito that the ruling coalition put together an economic package in July, Ishiba said, "We're not thinking about new economic measures at this point."

(2025/04/30-21:24)

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