Vice trade minister Katsusada Hirose said Monday that a fundamental review of energy-related tax revenues is not necessary, suggesting that such special-purpose revenues should not be used in other areas.
The remarks follow newspaper reports that the government has decided to transfer some energy-related revenues into a general account.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry currently oversees two kinds of special-purpose energy revenue. One is a tax included in electricity fees and used to promote the development of power generation.
The other is a petroleum tax used to stockpile oil and finance the development of new energy sources.
In an effort to respond to changing demands, the ministry has been reviewing and changing the way the revenues are used within the energy framework, Hirose said.