Krugman Urges Abe to Delay Sales Tax Increase, Says PM’s Aide

Paul Krugman met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today and said he was concerned that a further increase in the nation’s sales tax planned for next year could hurt the economy, according to one of Abe’s aides.

Krugman, a 2008 Nobel laureate in economics, urged Abe to delay the bump scheduled for October 2015, without indicating how long he should postpone, said Etsuro Honda, an adviser to the Japanese leader who was present at the meeting.