With his future on the line Japan PM Ishiba stands firm against calls to cut sales tax

TOKYO – As a national election looms in July, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is up against mounting pressure from within and outside his party for a temporary cut to the consumption tax.

His administration, which has been struggling with tepid public support since he took office in October 2024, is wary of inflicting long-term fiscal damage on Japan’s state coffers for short-sighted populist manoeuvres.

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