Japan Ruling Party Officials Call for Considering Tax Cuts

   Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)--Japanese ruling party officials on Tuesday called for considering tax cuts in response to tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
   Komeito Secretary-General Makoto Nishida made such a call at a meeting with his Liberal Democratic Party counterpart, Hiroshi Moriyama.
   "The White House has cited value-added tax and wage curbs as nontariff trade barriers," Nishida said at a press conference after the meeting. He stressed that a tax cut would contribute to lowering such nontariff barriers, as demanded by the Trump administration.
   At a separate press conference, Masaji Matsuyama, LDP secretary-general in the House of Councillors, said a consumption tax cut should be an option. "It's important for the government and ruling parties to hold discussions with all options on the table," Matsuyama said.
   Meanwhile, the LDP's Moriyama expressed a cautious view on tax cuts, pointing out at his press conference that consumption tax revenues are used to cover social security costs. "To keep the social security system sustainable, we need to seek understanding for the importance of fiscal resources," Moriyama said.

(2025/04/08-20:21)