Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's top economic chiefs have failed to agree on a contentious corporate tax cut amid lingering skepticism that the move will bolster the deflation-mired economy and amid pressure on business leaders to raise wages.
Abe, Finance Minister Taro Aso and economic and fiscal policy minister Akira Amari met Friday to put the final touches on an economic stimulus package, including the corporate tax reduction, in an attempt to soften the blow to the economy of the planned sales tax hike to 8 percent next April from the current 5 percent.
But Amari, a proponent of cutting business taxes, told reporters after the meeting that the details of the package "have yet to be decided," indicating the three were unable to meet halfway over the issue.