Measures to ease inflation must be speedy, says Prime Minister Ishiba

Any measures to ease inflation in Japan must be speedy and shouldn’t impede the government’s ability to fund social services, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Sunday, in a comment reflecting his aversion to sales tax cuts as opposition parties campaign to lower the duty ahead of a key election next month.

“We must secure the necessary funds for medical care, elderly care, and pensions. On top of that, the response to the current inflationary trends needs immediacy. It needs to be speedy,” Ishiba said on Sunday at a conference hosted by nonprofit organization Japan Productivity Center. He added that measures to counter inflation must reach those most in need, and touted recent steps that eased rice and gasoline prices as examples.

Ishiba has opposed lowering the sales tax ahead of an Upper House election where voters will vote on the performance of his minority government. The ruling coalition suffered its worst-ever result in a Tokyo metropolitan election last week, with voters raising the high cost-of-living as well as anger over political scandals as factors that helped determine how they voted.