Arab News Japan

TOKYO: With an election to take place on Oct. 31 in Japan, the focus is on the opposition to Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Among them is the People’s Democratic Party led by Yuichiro Tamaki, a man who sits firmly in the middle of Japanese politics and whose party has been gaining traction during the campaign.

One of his policies is to reduce the tax on gasoline, especially when the price is on an upward trend, as is happening at the moment.

“Now that gasoline prices are skyrocketing, the ‘trigger clause’ should be invoked,” Tamaki said on Thursday. “The trigger clause is a measure to suspend the special tax when the price of gasoline exceeds 160 yen per liter. The price would fall by 25 yen, but it has been frozen in place as a means of compensating for the Great East Japan Earthquake.” The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred more than 10 years ago.

Tamaki believes the measure should be lifted because of the economic fallout from the Covid-19.

“Local areas are the most affected,” he pointed out. “For the local economy, which has to rely on cars, the soaring price of gasoline is directly affecting life and people are asking about the trigger clause.”

“I’ve heard people say such things a lot around the country. Only the People’s Democratic Party will do what is necessary for the benefit of people’s livelihood.”