January 22, 2012
Out of 25 assemblies in Akita Prefecture, 13 city, town, and village assemblies approved written opinions in December requesting the national government to not increase the consumption tax and sent the opinions to the state.
All these local assemblies first adopted a petition submitted by the Akita branch of the National Federation of Merchant and Industrialist’s Organizations (Zenshoren) requesting the state to not increase the consumption tax as part of its supposed integrated reform of social services and the tax system, and then approved the written opinion sharing a similar request.
The Yuzawa City Assembly opinion states that if a consumption tax increase is carried out, the economy will inevitably worsen, disaster victims will have to shoulder heavier taxes, and smaller businesses and livelihoods of the people will be hurt. The opinion calls for abolishing or reducing the preferential tax breaks for large corporations and the very wealthy.
Kodama Masanori, president of the prefectural Zenshoren branch, said the fact that a majority of the prefectural assemblies adopting the petitions against a consumption tax increase in the face of pro-tax increase campaigns by major mass media has great significance. He expressed his resolve to further strengthen the movement opposing an increase in the consumption tax.
All these local assemblies first adopted a petition submitted by the Akita branch of the National Federation of Merchant and Industrialist’s Organizations (Zenshoren) requesting the state to not increase the consumption tax as part of its supposed integrated reform of social services and the tax system, and then approved the written opinion sharing a similar request.
The Yuzawa City Assembly opinion states that if a consumption tax increase is carried out, the economy will inevitably worsen, disaster victims will have to shoulder heavier taxes, and smaller businesses and livelihoods of the people will be hurt. The opinion calls for abolishing or reducing the preferential tax breaks for large corporations and the very wealthy.
Kodama Masanori, president of the prefectural Zenshoren branch, said the fact that a majority of the prefectural assemblies adopting the petitions against a consumption tax increase in the face of pro-tax increase campaigns by major mass media has great significance. He expressed his resolve to further strengthen the movement opposing an increase in the consumption tax.
