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With his future on the line, Japan PM Ishiba stands firm against calls to cut sales tax
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Japan currently imposes a 10 per cent sales tax on most goods, with an 8 per cent rate for food items and non-alcoholic beverages, except when dining out.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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TOKYO – As a national election looms in July, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is up against mounting pressure from within and outside his party for a temporary cut to the consumption tax.
His administration, which has been struggling with tepid public support since he took office in October 2024, is wary of inflicting long-term fiscal damage on Japan’s state coffers with short-sighted populist manoeuvres.
