Japan Press Weekly

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2008 March 26 - April 1 [FINANCE]

Tax for road construction should not be imposed on fishing boat fuel

A Japanese Communist Party representative urged the government to stop imposing the gasoline tax on fuel for fishing boats.

At a House of Councilors Finance Committee meeting on March 31, Daimon Mikishi said the high rate gas tax has been collected with the aim of funding road construction. He pointed out that over the last 20 years, the government has collected 117.7 billion yen in gasoline tax on fishing boat fuel and that the tax revenue has exclusively been used for road construction.

Daimon said, “Ships cannot be driven on roads. Why does the government charge gasoline tax on their fuel? It goes against the principle of the earmarked funds for road construction, which should be collected from and returned to those who will benefit from it.”

Finance Minister Nukaga Fukushiro said, “The system has certain inconsistencies in the relation between tax benefits and burdens.”
- Akahata, April 1, 2008