With the government looking determined to push through a tax reform bill that JP reported on last week, it might come as something of a surprise to hear that it’s being reported tonight that they have agreed to drop the bill, or at least the clause concerning “road-designated tax revenues”, which has been facing stiff opposition and causing the oft-stated ‘confusion’ in parliament.

That Mainichi article linked above might lead you to believe that consumers in Japan can now look forward to cheaper gasoline at the pump. But I for one won’t be holding my breath.

Kyodo reports rather fuller details, including -

The withdrawal comes after the ruling and opposition camps accepted [House of Representatives Speaker Yohei] Kono’s offer made earlier in the day to resolve the tense confrontation over the bill in the lower house, a senior opposition lawmaker said. The offer calls for withdrawing the stopgap bill and seeking “some kind of conclusion within this fiscal year” through March on a separate bill to maintain the special taxes for 10 years beyond their expiration on March 31.

There’s no suggestion of nixing the gas tax, or lowering the rate. All this does is free up parliamentary time, by postponing a spat that sounds like it was beginning to get out of hand -

Prior to the deliberations at the financial committee, about 50 DPJ members blocked the passage near the committee room, holding up signs which read ”Road interests versus people’s lives.” In the committee meeting, opposition lawmakers protested against holding a vote, seizing the committee head’s microphone and slamming desks.

There’s clearly other pressing business the government wants to get round to (keep your eyes open) and could do without such strident hindrance. But it can only be seen as a postponement - the government will resubmit the issue in a bill in some other form in the near future, and in the face of further opposition, are likely to force it through.