The Kobe Municipal Government is considering a nonstatutory municipal tax on owners of vacant or underused units in high-rise condominiums in central districts of the city, including areas around Sannomiya and Motomachi stations.
In January, a panel of experts on high-rise condominiums warned in a report that such buildings could become "abandoned" in the future.
Acting on the panel's recommendation to levy a city-specific tax on underutilized units, the city government in May established an expert task force that is now studying details with an eye to introducing the measure.
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