Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won't announce his decision on whether to raise the consumption tax until Oct. 2, after examining the results of the next Bank of Japan "tankan" business sentiment survey, a government source said Tuesday.
The Abe administration has been carefully studying the possible negative impact of a consumption tax hike on the nascent economic recovery, amid concern it could weigh on business investment and household spending.
Abe said Tuesday that he wants to look at the tankan, due out Oct. 1, as "the last economic indicator" before making up his mind in "early October," according to economic and fiscal policy minister Akira Amari.