Japan¡¯s ruling and opposition parties reached an interim agreement Thursday to introduce a new income-linked benefit program in fiscal 2029 to support mid- and low-income workers, while remaining divided over a proposed cut to the consumption tax on food.
The interim agreement was reached at a working-level meeting of the National Council on Social Security, with broader discussions on food tax reduction to begin next week.
¡°We were able to consolidate the discussions on benefits to the point where we can report them to the full council,¡± Itsunori Onodera, a senior ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who chairs the council, told reporters after the meeting.
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