Newly appointed financial services and postal reform minister Shozaburo Jimi expressed caution Tuesday about raising the consumption tax, saying economic growth should come before taxes are raised.
"Economic recovery should come first. Then we should consider (finding) a permanent revenue source," Jimi said at a news conference in response to questions about the controversial idea of hiking the consumption tax.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan mentioned last week the possibility of raising the consumption tax from the current 5 percent, adding later that he will consider 10 percent as "one of the references" for raising the rate.