For Sadakazu Tanigaki, newly reappointed as finance minister, the crucial question is not whether to raise the consumption tax, but when.
"The decision about when to raise the consumption tax is the biggest political decision an administration can face," Tanigaki said in an interview Tuesday. "There are many political considerations involved."
Upon his reappointment Monday, the finance chief said he hoped that a bill to raise the consumption tax would be submitted to the regular Diet session in January 2007. But securing public understanding that a tax hike is necessary is a huge challenge, he said.