OECD's Gurria: Japan has room to raise sales tax to 15%

[TOKYO] Japan has room to raise the national sales tax gradually to 15 per cent to pay for rising welfare spending, the head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said on Monday.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, speaking at a press conference, also said Japan should put more emphasis on structural reforms.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to raise the sales tax to 10 per cent from 8 per cent next year, but some of his closest advisers have called for the plan to be delayed.

REUTERS