Editorial

14:00 JST, May 13, 2025

With the House of Councillors election approaching this summer, opposition parties are increasingly calling for reducing the consumption tax rate. During intensive deliberations at a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, opposition parties criticized Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is cautious about a tax rate cut.

Among upper house members of the Liberal Democratic Party who will defend their seats in the summer election, there are also simmering calls for a tax cut.

However, the Consumption Tax Law stipulates that the tax must be used as a source of funding for social security programs such as pensions, medical care and nursing care. If the consumption tax is reduced, there will be no way to avoid cutting social security services unless........

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