- govt determined to reduce corporate tax rate
Japanese chief cabinet secretary and top spokesman Yoshihide Suga, in an interview with Reuters repeating PM Abe’s remarks from earlier in the week.
Such a move would boost Japanese firms’ global competitiveness and make Japan more attractive to foreign investment but finance ministry officials have expressed concern that a reduction from 35% would worsen the public debt total, already one of the worst amongst developed economies
The Prime Minister has made a definite statement regarding a reduction in the corporate tax rate. We want to achieve this.
Whatever the finance ministry says, the govt policy will not change. We will consider what will happen to govt finances if the corp tax rate is lowered. But the PM has said all along that a reduction is necessary. We want to do that properly.
Suga also spoke of Japan’s participation in talks for the US-led free trade pact, The Transatlantic Partnership, and said it was a vital part of Abe’s growth strategy, the “Third Arrow” in his Abenomics policy.
Full interview here and he also had this to say on Chinese accusations of Japanese militarism
