TOKYO (Reuters) - Shigeru Ishiba, a former Japanese defense minister and a prominent candidate in the ruling party's leadership race, stated that there is "room to raise" corporate taxes, according to Kyodo News.
In an election-related webcast, Ishiba remarked, "There are still firms that can bear the tax burden. I would like them to bear it a little more."
Shinjiro Koizumi, another leading candidate and former Japanese environment minister, indicated his plan to introduce a carbon tax. He noted that if Japan does not adopt a carbon tax, it may face taxes on trade with Europe, where such measures are being implemented.
Koizumi also emphasized the importance of not increasing taxes until the country achieves price stability, where demand exceeds supply, as reported by Kyodo.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which holds a parliamentary majority, is set to elect a new leader on September 27, who will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
