Search - 2003

 
 
COMMENTARY
Jan 6, 2003

Time to rock economic boat

After remaining in the doldrums for more than 10 years, the Japanese economy is now plagued by deflation. The Tokyo Stock Exchange's benchmark Nikkei index has fallen to the 8,500 level, and the nation's unemployment rate remains high. Last fall the government announced a policy package for expediting...
BUSINESS
Nov 21, 2002

Fiscal panel urges restraint, streamlining and discipline

The Fiscal System Council, an advisory panel to the finance minister, proposed Wednesday that a "reform-oriented" budget be compiled for fiscal 2003 that restricts government bond issuance and scrutinizes tax grants for local governments.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 20, 2002

Expos evoke memories of Japan's 'gypsies'

There's a lot of speculation about what will happen to the Montreal Expos and where the team will play its home games during the 2003 season.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2002

EU 'withholds funds' for N. Korea reactors

The European Parliament has decided to temporarily withhold its 2003 funding to a consortium charged with building nuclear reactors in North Korea following Pyongyang's admission that it is developing nuclear arms, EU sources said Friday.
BUSINESS
Sep 11, 2002

Budget requests total 86.78 trillion yen

Requests for the fiscal 2003 general account budget from government ministries and agencies stand at 86.78 trillion yen, up 6.8 percent from the initial budget for the current fiscal year, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Sep 4, 2002

Tax Commission looks to cut exemptions

The government's Tax Commission on Tuesday proposed abolishing in fiscal 2003 certain tax exemptions granted to salaried employees with a working spouse.
BUSINESS
Aug 31, 2002

Japan's economy grows 0.5%

The nation's economy expanded 0.5 percent in the April-June quarter, up for the first time in five quarters, on the back of strong performance by exports, government data showed Friday.
BUSINESS
Aug 30, 2002

FSA plans to offer cash incentives to banks that merge

The government may provide as much as 1 trillion yen to banks that agree to consolidate, according to a proposal outlined Thursday by the Financial Service Agency.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2002

Ministry hopes to pay for babies

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to press for a 4.6 percent increase in its fiscal 2003 budget in order to introduce a 1.04 trillion yen incentive program to boost the nation's birthrate, officials said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2002

Ministry to seek more funds to deal with packed prisons

The Justice Ministry will seek a sharp increase in its fiscal 2003 budget to address the problem of overcrowding in Japan's prisons and request a "research budget" to build the first new prisons in about 20 years, ministry sources said.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Aug 16, 2002

Japanese rugby gears up for professionalism

Summer used to be a time for rugby players to either relax or pursue other sporting interests. Between the end of season tour (which generally involved a lot of drinking with a little rugby thrown in) and the start of preseason training in late August there was plenty of opportunity to pursue other interests....
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 15, 2002

Tax Commission head skeptical of Koizumi tax cuts

While Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is gearing up for tax cuts he hopes will boost the fragile economy, the head of his advisory panel is not shy about expressing skepticism about their effectiveness.
JAPAN
Aug 2, 2002

Private-sector leader urged for postal entity

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Thursday that the public corporation that will take over the state-run postal service operations in April should be headed by someone from the private sector.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2002

Fukuda says no plans yet for extra fiscal 2002 budget

The government has no plans at present to draft a supplementary budget for fiscal 2002, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Tuesday.
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jul 12, 2002

Japan rugby team needs tougher competition

Japan's rugby players go into Sunday's game with South Korea at Tondaemun Stadium in Seoul knowing that a win will ensure qualification for the 2003 Rugby World Cup finals.
EDITORIALS
Jul 6, 2002

Unemployment insurance in peril

Rising unemployment is creating serious financial problems for the government, making it likely that jobless insurance premiums will be increased. In fact, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Chikara Sakaguchi suggested the other day that the premium rate would be raised on an emergency basis, perhaps...
BUSINESS / ON THE FRONT LINE
Jun 20, 2002

Tokyo stock prospects peachy

Favorable corporate earnings and economic prospects have not yet been factored into share prices, and price moves on the chart show that the Tokyo stock market has overcorrected itself.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 17, 2002

Japan romps past S. Koreans in crucial World Cup qualifier

The occasion -- a crucial World Cup game. The venue -- National Stadium, Tokyo. The teams -- Japan and South Korea. The result -- a resounding win for Japan.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2002

Koizumi proposes retroactive tax breaks

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Thursday proposed making tax cuts due in fiscal 2003 retroactive to the current fiscal year as part of a second antideflation package.
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2002

Koizumi to release more budget plans

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will release on Thursday his budget-drafting policy for fiscal 2003, following a basic policy released last week, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2002

Reform-oriented budget sought

An advisory panel to the finance minister called Monday for a reform-oriented fiscal 2003 budget that will keep spending for policy measures at current levels to maintain fiscal discipline.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2002

Cabinet approves final bills on deregulating post services

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet on Tuesday endorsed the remaining two bills of a set of four on postal services deregulation and plans to submit both to the Diet.
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2002

Koizumi gives up on lifting legal ban on post privatization

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has given up on eliminating a legal clause banning the privatization of the new public corporation slated to take over the government-run postal services in 2003, posts minister Toranosuke Katayama said Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 29, 2002

Government experts butt heads over path to recovery

Discord is increasing between two key government panels debating whether to prioritize tax cuts or fiscal belt-tightening.
BUSINESS
Feb 16, 2002

Shiokawa has high hopes for impact from tax reform

Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Friday he hopes tax reform now being considered for implementation in fiscal 2003 will reinvigorate the economy.
EDITORIALS
Feb 15, 2002

Health-care reform before higher costs

Acting under the initiative of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the government and the ruling parties have agreed that salaried workers should pay 30 percent of their medical expenses, or 10 percent more than they do now, beginning in April 2003. But the agreement came at a heavy price: a bruising political...

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