The government "bridge bank" scheme will be applied to failed banks regardless of their size, Vice Finance Minister Koji Tanami said Monday, denying speculation that the plan will only cover small banks.
At a regular news conference, Tanami denied those rumors, saying government officials had not made such remarks about small banks.
On lowering income tax rates, Tanami said Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto has consistently called for an overhaul of the entire income tax system and has not promised to reduce particular rates. Future tax cuts, if any, will be thus discussed within the tax system reform, Tanami said.