Overview
- The House of Representatives approved a bill on November 25 to abolish the provisional gasoline surtax, sending it to the upper house for expected passage within the month.
- The measure would end the gasoline surcharge of about ¥25.1 per liter on December 31 and terminate the light oil provisional tax of ¥17.1 per liter on April 1, 2026.
- Lawmakers from six ruling and opposition parties revised an opposition-led proposal to secure broad support for the repeal.
- The government has begun increasing price-suppressing subsidies as a transition measure to limit abrupt changes at the pump.
- According to the cabinet’s schedule, the gasoline subsidy will reach an amount equivalent to the surtax on December 11 to bridge the shift to the tax’s abolition.