Shinzō Abe | GlobalPost

Japan PM Abe hints at possible tax hike delay

Agence France-PresseJune 9, 2013 03:31

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday an upper house election will take place on July 21 and voiced the possibility of delaying a consumption tax hike scheduled for next year if the economy remains weak. Abe, in a live interview with national broadcaster NHK, also pledged a "dramatic" tax break in the autumn to encourage investment, calling it the second phase of his broad growth measures. He stressed that his basic policy was to raise the five percent consumption tax to eight percent next year and then to 10 percent in 2015.

Japan PM Abe unveils plan for tax cuts to boost capex

Thomson ReutersJune 9, 2013 00:31

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Sunday the government would decide on tax cuts in autumn to encourage companies to boost capital expenditure as part of sweeping reforms to revive the economy from nearly two decades of stagnation. The government will also work on legislation to scrap regulations hampering corporate research and investment and secure passage in parliament in autumn, he said. "We'd like to decide on bold tax cuts for capital expenditure in autumn," Abe told public broadcaster NHK.

Abe to visit Poland, Ireland on occasion of G-8 summit

Kyodo News InternationalJune 8, 2013 12:31

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday he will visit Poland and Ireland on the occasion of the June 17-18 summit of the Group of Eight nations in Northern Ireland. Abe revealed the plan in a stump speech in Tokyo. "I would like to promote Japanese technology in the two countries," he said. As part of its growth strategy, the Abe administration plans to expand Japan's infrastructure and medical technology exports to revitalize the moribund economy.

Japan, France agree to hold ministerial talks on defense cooperation

Kyodo News InternationalJune 7, 2013 03:27

Japan and France agreed Friday to hold a meeting of their foreign and defense ministers to discuss security and defense cooperation, with plans to start bilateral talks on the joint development of defense equipment as well as the control of exports of such materiel. In a joint statement issued after a summit in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and French President Francois Hollande also agreed that Japan and France, both world leaders in nuclear power technology, should promote exports of nuclear power plants to emerging economies.

France's Hollande pays state visit to Japan

Agence France-PresseJune 6, 2013 07:52

Francois Hollande arrived in Japan Thursday for three days of talks, hoping to seal deals on nuclear co-operation and in the aviation sector, on the first state visit by a French president in 17 years. Hollande, along with key ministers and a large business delegation, arrives keen to learn more about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's bid to inflate Japan's flaccid economy. His visit also comes just weeks after he went to China and as Japan grows increasingly uneasy over moves by Paris to build closer ties with Beijing.

Japan's PM unveils economic liberalization plan

Agencia EFEJune 5, 2013 16:42

Tokyo, Jun 5 (EFE).- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled a plan Wednesday to deregulate and boost investment in certain key sectors of the world's third-largest economy. But investors disappointed at the lack of specifics in his growth strategy sent the Tokyo Stock Exchange plunging by 4 percent at the conclusion of his speech. Abe pledged during his address to deregulate the nation's energy, pharmaceutical and infrastructure sectors.

World Bank head expresses hopes for Japan's investment in Africa

Kyodo News InternationalJune 3, 2013 00:07

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim expressed hope Monday that Japan will boost investment in Africa, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has highlighted as a key target market under the country's economic growth strategy, the Finance Ministry said. During his 30-minute talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso, who doubles as deputy prime minister under Abe's administration, Kim also said the Washington-based global lender would help Japanese firms branch out in the continent, the ministry said.

Support for Abe Cabinet edges down to 68.0%: Kyodo poll

Kyodo News InternationalJune 2, 2013 11:50

Support for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has edged down to 68.0 percent in the latest poll from 70.9 percent last month, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday. In a telephone survey conducted on Saturday and Sunday, 65.0 percent of respondents said they expect positive effects from "Abenomics," and the economic policies pursued by Abe to turn around Japan's deflation-battered economy, against 29 percent who replied they are not expecting much.

Japan tells U.N. chief that PM Abe committed to resolving abductions

Kyodo News InternationalJune 1, 2013 08:30

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told visiting U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on Saturday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is committed to resolving fully the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea, Japanese officials said. During a meeting on the fringes of a gathering of leaders in Yokohama to discuss African development, Kishida and Ban confirmed plans to continue working closely toward the resolution of the thorny issue, which has been a major obstacle toward normalizing ties between Japan and North Korea.

Japan seeks understanding of debate on collective self-defense

Kyodo News InternationalJune 1, 2013 02:15

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera sought the international community's understanding Saturday of debates in Japan on exercising the right to collective self-defense, saying such a move would help the country make "a more proactive and creative contribution toward regional stability."