DPJ plans to enact a tax hike bill by March 2011

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

DPJ plans to enact a tax hike bill by March 2011

The Democratic Party of Japan is intending to enact a bill to increase the consumption tax rate by the end of March 2011 and actually introduce a tax hike in a few years.

Akahata discovered this blueprint in the DPJ internal information files. The DPJ, according to the information, will start working on the bill soon after the House of Councilors election and call on other political parties to establish an ad hoc committee to achieve this under the name of restoring fiscal health.

Prime Minister Kan Naoto has already proclaimed that he will increase the consumption tax to ten percent from the present five percent. However, the DPJ election manifesto only states that the party will review the present tax system, including the consumption tax, but is hiding the time schedule from voters.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo is informing the general public of the DPJ hidden agenda while on the campaign trail, and is calling on voters to block this attempt with a JCP advance in the Upper House election.

DPJ tries to blur the issue of 10% consumption tax

The Democratic Party of Japan is concerned about the results of the latest opinion poll in which more respondents express their opposition to a consumption tax hike.

DPJ Secretary General Edano Yukio on June 28 tried to cover up the DPJ intention by stating that recent news reports that the DPJ is seeking to increase the consumption tax soon after the election “are not true.”

Renho, state minister in charge of government revitalization and a DPJ candidate in the Tokyo constituency said, “We are not asking (voters) in this election to approve an increase in the consumption tax.”

- Akahata, June 28, 29, 2010