In an about-face, the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) has decided it will participate in a national council on social security while the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) is seriously considering it after both parties declined to show up at the body¡¯s inaugural meeting.
The shift appears to signal that the two opposition parties see accepting a seat at the table as less politically risky than remaining outside the discussions about abolishing the consumption tax on food items and introducing a tax credit system with benefits.
To achieve agreement across party lines, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi extended an invitation to the CRA and the DPP to join the council. Members of the council are tasked with discussions and recommendations on how to eliminate the 8% tax on food items for two years as a temporary measure to relieve the burden on consumers hit by high prices.
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