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Japan industry minister proposes coal tax |
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| JAPAN: November 18, 2002 | ||
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TOKYO - Japan's trade and industry minister, Takeo Hiranuma, proposed last week introducing a tax on coal in part to fund environmental policies to reduce gases that cause global warming.
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The proposal, submitted to a panel of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's top economic advisers, said fuel taxes should be reviewed to seek a fair burden among different types of energy sources. Hiranuma's report, co-authored by Environment Minister Shunichi Suzuki, did not mention any specific tax rates. But the daily Mainichi Shimbun said last week that the ministry was considering a tax of about 700 yen ($5.81) per tonne, totalling about 80 billion yen a year. Unlike oil and natural gas, there are no taxes on coal in Japan. A half of the revenue would go into the Environment Agency's projects to reduce greenhouse gases, the newspaper said. A separate report by Suzuki said the proposed revision of the fuel taxes, including the introduction of the coal tax, was the first phase of a three-step approach to achieving Japan's target under the Kyoto Protocol of reducing greenhouse gas emission by six percent from 1990 levels. The first phase is due to be completed by the end of 2004, while the second phase, which includes the implementation of a more comprehensive environmental taxation system, is planned for 2005-2007.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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