Economics

The Tax Hike the Bank of Japan Can’t Afford to Ignore

TV, fridge sales are up, but not like last time the tax rose
Abe’s government has taken steps to try to smooth out spending

Nobuko Kobayashi, a partner at EY-Parthenon, explains how the hike in sales tax will affect the Japanese economy.(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Emi Urabe and Yoshiaki Nohara

September 29, 2019 at 3:00 PM UTC

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Japan’s economy risks being derailed for a third time by a sales tax hike this week if shoppers like 63-year-old Kuriko Iwaki suddenly close their wallets.