Japan Press Weekly

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2012 March 28 - April 3 [POLITICS]

Nationwide actions held against consumption tax hike

On April 1, on the 23rd anniversary of the 1989 introduction of the consumption tax system, parades and signature drives were held across Japan opposing the introduction of a tax increase bill.

These actions are organized to take place on April 1 every year by the National Association to End the Consumption Tax along with other supporting organizations.

At a signature drive held in front of Ueno Station in Tokyo, Makino Yuko, the secretary general of the national association, criticized Prime Minister Noda and his government for introducing the bill to raise the consumption tax by claiming the need to increase funding for social security programs as justification. She said, “If the rich pay their share of taxes in proportion to their wealth and income, resources for social programs would be assured without having to raise the consumption tax rate.”

A woman, 60, from Fujisawa City in Kanagawa Prefecture, signed an anti-consumption tax hike petition and angrily said, “Prime Minister Noda intends to cut our benefits and increase the consumption tax at the same time. I think it is wrong to attack only the weak.”

More than 200 people signed the petition in just one and a half hours in a similar action in Osaka City.