Japan’s Abe Considering $930 Cash Handouts to Soften Virus Blow
Japan’s Abe Considering $930 Cash Handouts to Soften Virus Blow
(Bloomberg) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering a plan for universal $930 cash handouts to help individuals weather the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the government’s top spokesman said.
Abe’s coalition ally, Natsuo Yamaguchi of the Komeito party, proposed making the 100,000 yen payments across the board, without income limits, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Wednesday. Abe replied that he would consider the idea swiftly after passing the extra budget, Suga said.
The main ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Secretary General, Toshihiro Nikai, on Tuesday said he wanted to respond to strong demand for the handouts, according to the party’s website. He added it would be difficult to find the cash to extend them to people with high incomes.
Japan has so far promised larger payments of 300,000 yen ($2,800), but limited them to those who can prove a substantial loss of income.
Abe told parliament Tuesday he wanted to submit the extra budget to the legislature as early as next week.
Opposition leaders added their voices to the calls for the matter to be dealt with swiftly.
“Some people are on the brink now, they’re suffering, so I want this to be done as soon as possible,” Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki told reporters Wednesday. That could be achieved quickly by revising the existing extra budget proposal, he added.
His counterpart Yukio Edano of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party said in a tweet income limits should not be set because they would slow the process of getting money to those who need it.
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