JAPAN CONSIDERS 2ND CASH AID TO NEEDY FAMILIES

Discussion has been underway about another cash handout to low-income households amid the coronavirus crisis, ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy chief Hakubun Shimomura revealed in a television appearance, Shuhei Endo reported for Mainichi Shimbun.

Shimomura said on satellite broadcasting station BS Fuji that on Nov. 10, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to order a third supplementary budget bill for fiscal 2020. Shimomura also said that the ideal amount would be between 10 trillion and 15 trillion yen (about $95.5 billion to $143.3 billion).

Regarding the additional cash handout proposal, Shimomura said, "We're planning on providing it to people who really need it going forward," and explained that "households that are exempt from paying (resident) taxes, or those that have low incomes" would be eligible, regardless of whether their income had dropped due to the pandemic. The amount is yet to be determined. Deliberations will be made to incorporate the additional handouts into the third supplementary budget that will be submitted to the ordinary session of the Diet in the new year.

However, Shimomura said, "For people who cannot even make it to next year, that's not soon enough." He added that considerations were being made to make use of the second supplementary budget's discretionary reserves. As for the government subsidy to defray layoff costs, Shimomura said special measure to raise the rate of assistance would be extended past their current cutoff date at the end of 2020. He also mentioned that assistance measures geared toward small to mid-sized companies and the "Go To Travel" subsidy campaign are also under consideration for extensions.