Japan to Provide Subsidies to Lower Power, Gas Bills in Summer

   Tokyo, May 27 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government said Tuesday that it will provide subsidies to lower household electricity and city gas bills as part of efforts to cushion the impact on the domestic economy of U.S. President Donald Trump's high tariffs.
   The government will spend 388 billion yen from its budget reserves for the subsidies and other measures in its first fiscal spending in response to the Trump tariffs as officials are concerned that the U.S. trade measures will weigh on the Japanese economy.
   "The impact of the tariffs is emerging in some sectors" of the economy, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told officials in a meeting.
   Of the total, 288 billion yen will be spent to lower the cost of electricity and city gas by 3,000 yen for an average household from July to September.
   The subsidies will be 2 yen per kilowatt-hour of electricity and 8 yen per cubic meter of city gas in July and September. In August, when bills tend to rise due to air conditioning use, the subsidies will be raised to 2.4 yen per kilowatt-hour of electricity and 10 yen per cubic meter of city gas.

(2025/05/27-16:02)

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