Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano lashed out Tuesday at the Democratic Party of Japan's campaign platform, saying its measures cannot be implemented continuously without raising the consumption tax to about 25 percent, as in Nordic countries.
"If people in the country decide to choose (the DPJ's measures), that's fine," Yosano said at a news conference. "But I believe the sustainable implementation of such (costly) policies will probably not be achieved without raising the consumption tax to more than 25 percent" from the current 5 percent.
Yosano said the DPJ policies, including cash aid for families with children and an end to highway tolls, would unlikely survive more than two years, pointing to a resource shortage.