Japan Raises Fuel Subsidies to Offset Tax Cuts
Japan will gradually increase fuel subsidies for households until it scraps the gasoline and diesel taxes at the end of this year and in April next year, with subsidies intended to avoid consumers waiting until 2026 to fill up with cheaper fuel. Japan’s ruling and opposition parties last week agreed to scrap the gasoline tax surcharge at the end of the year and the diesel tax in April next year, as a way to alleviate the cost of living for households amid surging fuel prices. Japan’s fuel tax was introduced in the 1970s…