LDP, DPFP Officials Hold First Policy Discussions; Talks on Economic Stimulus Package May Begin This Week

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:51 JST, November 5, 2024

Policy officials for the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People held their first talks on Tuesday morning, confirming that they will begin specific discussions on a comprehensive economic stimulus package as early as this week.

The government is expected to compile the package soon.

LDP Policy Research Council Chairperson Itsunori Onodera and his DPFP counterpart Makoto Hamaguchi attended the Tuesday talks. Held in the Diet Building, the meeting lasted about 20 minutes.

The DPFP is seeking a review of the so-called ¥1.03 million threshold, in which income tax is imposed once the annual income of a spouse exceeds ¥1.03 million. It also wants to invoke the “trigger clause,” which temporarily lowers gasoline taxes. Both parties therefore agreed Tuesday to hold talks between the chairs of their tax system research councils.

The DPFP also asked the LDP to start talks on political reform, including abolition of the political activity funds that parties provide to their lawmakers.

It was agreed at an Oct. 31 meeting of the parties’ secretaries general and diet affairs committee chairs that ruling coalition partner Komeito will join the two parties in policy discussions. The parties also agreed to hold talks between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is also the LDP president, and DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki.