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Hatoyama eager to lower corporate tax

Friday 12th March, 02:34 PM JST

TOKYO —

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama expressed a desire Friday to lower Japan’s corporate tax rate to the levels of many other industrialized countries to help revive the nation’s economy. ‘‘In a worldwide comparison, it is true that the nation’s corporate tax is high and the consumption tax is extremely low,’’ Hatoyama said during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session.

‘‘On the condition of reviewing special tax breaks, we will make the corporate tax rate fit in more with the international trend,’’ he said. ‘‘It is reasonable to lead toward a cut in the rate.’‘

As of 2009, Japan’s effective corporate tax rate was about 40%, which is about 10 to 15% higher than in many major industrialized and fast-growing countries, according to Finance Ministry data.

http://japantoday.co...r-corporate-tax

The provincial government may be fuelling the black market with a tax increase on private sales of cars, boats and airplanes that comes into effect July 1, the B.C. NDP says.

The B.C. government already charges the seven-per-cent provincial sales tax (PST) on private vehicle sales and had planned to keep it there, according to its September 2009 budget.

Sales of used vehicles, boats and aircraft by dealers will rise to 12 per cent when the new harmonized sales tax (HST) — which combines the PST and the five-per-cent federal goods and services tax (GST) — goes into effect July 1.

But the B.C. government now plans to raise the PST on private sales of automobiles, boats and cars to 12 per cent the same day as the HST goes into effect.

Charging a higher tax on sales of used cars by private individuals will level the playing field, B.C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen said.

"The tax that's applied to the sale of used vehicles will be the same, whether you purchase it from a used car dealer or whether you purchase it from a private individual," Hansen said.
Extra revenue

Over the next two years, the government expects to generate about $120 million in extra revenue from the increased tax.

The opposition claimed the government tried to fly the tax increase under the public radar in the March 2 budget by mentioning it on page 80 of the budget document.

"The minister didn't want to put that front and centre, given his claim that the HST isn't a tax grab from British Columbians," said NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston.

The higher tax will hit those who cannot afford to buy new cars and that could fuel the black market in vehicles, Ralston said.

Hansen said he never made any secret of his plan to raise the tax, noting that he mentioned the plan in his budget speech in the legislature.

The opposition and the news media only picked up on the tax change on Thursday, Hansen said.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/ca...l#ixzz0hyO2wphD


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/ca...l#ixzz0hyNzZ1m7

Minister warns Japan will miss emissions goal without innovations

Wednesday 10th March, 03:27 AM JST

TOKYO —

Industry minister Masayuki Naoshima warned Tuesday that Japan would fall short of its emissions reduction target without ‘‘green innovations,’’ in remarks that could add fuel to a governmental debate over a bill to combat global warming.

‘‘We would not be able to achieve a 25% reduction without sufficient action in the private sector,’’ Naoshima, minister of economy, trade and industry, told reporters in reference to Japan’s repeated pledge to cut the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade by 25% compared with 1990 levels.

Naoshima reiterated his doubts about the effectiveness of moves by some lawmakers and government officials to introduce an overall cap on industrial emissions, despite Japan already being regarded as one of the world’s most energy-efficient economies, a view that reflects opinions widely held by industries.

‘‘We need to raise green innovations as a new industry,’’ the minister said, suggesting that letting industries develop technologies to reduce carbon emissions, rather than imposing an overall emissions cap on them, would prove the fastest way for Japan to attain the emissions target while improving their future competitiveness.

His comments came amid heated debates over whether the bill should include an option that would set an emissions cap in accordance with the levels of production volumes, or a ceiling per unit.

http://www.japantoda...out-innovations

http://en.wikipedia....dom_of_Tungning

The Kingdom of Tungning (simplified Chinese: 东宁王国; traditional Chinese: 東寧王國; pinyin: Dōngníng Wángguó) is also sometimes called the Kingdom of Zheng (Cheng) (simplified Chinese: 郑氏王朝; traditional Chinese: 鄭氏王朝; pinyin: Zhèngshì Wángcháo) or the Kingdom of Yanping (延平王國). Admiral Koxinga called Taiwan Tungtu/Dongdu. It has been called in western histories the Kingdom of Taiwan,[1] and the period of rule is sometimes referred to as the Koxinga dynasty.[2]

In 1661, Koxinga forced a landing at Luerhmen (simplified Chinese: 鹿耳门; traditional Chinese: 鹿耳門; pinyin: Lù'ěrmén), Taiwan. In less than a year, he captured Fort Zeelandia and negotiated a treaty[3] with Frederick Coyett, the Dutch governor, where the Dutch surrendered the fortress and left all the goods and property of the Dutch East India Company behind. In return, all Dutch officials, soldiers and civilians left with their personal belongings and supplies back to Batavia, ending the 38 years of Dutch colonial rule on Taiwan. Koxinga proceeded to devote himself to building Taiwan into an effective base for anti-Qing Dynasty sympathizers who wanted to restore the Ming Dynasty to power.

In 1662, at the age of 39, Koxinga died of malaria, although speculations said that he died in a sudden fit of madness upon hearing the death of his father under the Qing. His son, Zheng Jing, succeeded him as the ruler of Taiwan, with the inherited title of Prince of Yanping.

For the next 19 years, Zheng Jing tried to provide sufficiently for the local inhabitants and reorganize their military forces in Taiwan. Contact with the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty from the China through ambassadors was frequent. Under Qing pressure, Zheng Jing struggled to defend Xiamen, Quemoy and the Pescadores islands, which he had eventually lost over the years, mainly due to his minuscule forces which were insufficient to defend from the Qing. During Revolt of the Three Feudatories, Zheng Jing launched an offensive in the Fujian area. With the end of the revolt, Zheng suffered a serious defeat. After the defeat, Zheng returned to Taiwan where he indulged in wine and women, dying soon after of illness. Upon his death, his generals and ministers were divided into two factions, each supporting one of his sons as heir. After some infighting, Zheng Keshuang, his younger twelve-year-old son, succeeded him as king.

In 1683, after the Battle of Penghu, Zheng Keshuang gave in to Qing demand of surrender, and his kingdom was incorporated into the Qing Dynasty as part of the Fujian Province.

http://en.wikipedia....dom_of_Tungning

Hatoyama hopes to ban corporate donations

Friday 05th March, 07:00 AM JST

TOKYO —

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Thursday expressed strong hopes of amending the Political Funds Control Law during the current parliamentary session to ban donations from corporations and other organizations. ‘‘I hope a conclusion (on the matter) will be drawn during the ordinary Diet session’’ through June 16, he told the House of Councillors Budget Committee.

The premier also said a consultation body should be set up among the ruling and opposition parties to explore the issue, and the secretaries general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and its two junior coalition partners agreed later in the day to set up the panel and to urge the opposition to join it, participants said.

Hatoyama’s eagerness to seek a ban on corporate donations comes at a time when the Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition parties have been grilling the DPJ-led coalition government over funding scandals in which DPJ lawmakers have been embroiled, such the prime minister himself and DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa.

http://www.japantoda...orate-donations