Japan Ruling Bloc, DPFP to Continue Economic Talks

Tokyo, Nov. 15 (Jiji Press)--Policy chiefs from Japan's ruling bloc and the opposition Democratic Party for the People agreed to continue talks on a proposed economic package as they failed to reach agreement at a meeting on Friday.

The policy chiefs from the Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner, Komeito, and the DPFP will meet again on Monday.

At their meeting on Friday, DPFP policy chief Makoto Hamaguchi apparently sought to clarify the government's stance on the party's demand for raising the minimum taxable income to increase take-home pay.

A draft economic package presented by the government to the ruling bloc Thursday included resuming electricity and city gas subsidies and paying benefits to low-income households, but did not mention the DPFP's income tax proposal.

LDP policy chief Itsunori Onodera played down the failure to reach agreement at Friday's meeting.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]