What does the public think of reduced rates for some goods?
Not surprisingly, most people support the concept, opinion polls say.
In an online survey by the Mainichi Shimbun undertaken ahead of the Tokyo gubernatorial election in early February, 77 percent of around 70,000 respondents nationwide answered yes to the question: “If the consumption tax is raised to 10 percent, do you think the government should apply reduced rates to daily necessities?”
As many as 76 percent of the respondents in a joint nationwide poll in December by the Sankei Shimbun and Fuji News Network said that reduced rates “should be introduced” and 60.7 percent favored introducing them if the consumption tax rises to 10 percent as planned.