Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has doubled down on his bet that promoting domestic travel will keep the economy on a recovery path and that his tenure as leader will continue beyond a single year.
Despite a resurgence in COVID-19 infections that some observers have blamed on Suga’s Go To Travel campaign, the government on Tuesday unveiled a six-month extension of the program as part of an economic stimulus package with an overall value of ¥73.6 trillion.
The latest package, to be funded by a third extra budget and next year’s annual budget, also extends an enhanced furlough program while providing support for medical facilities, homes for older people and cash handouts for single parent families. The move adds to an IMF tally of $12 trillion in global stimulus this year.