53.3% supports Abe's tax hike decision

About 53.3 percent of respondents across Japan said they support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision on promoting the country's sales tax to 8 percent next April from the current 5 percent, according to a latest poll released Wednesday. The nationwide survey, which was conducted by Japan's Kyodo News on Tuesday and Wednesday through telephone, also showed that the support rate for Abe's cabinet stood at 63.3 percent, up from 61.8 percent last month. About 42.9 percent showed their opposition to the tax hike decision, according to the poll. The survey also said 61.6 percent of respondents opposed the second stage of the tax hike to 10 percent in 2015, while 31.0 percent back the plan. About 48.5 percent were not supportive to the 6-trillion-yen ( about 60.94 billion U.S. dollars) stimulus package to counter the potential impacts of the tax hike, according to the poll. During a meeting with executives from the ruling coalition at his office Tuesday afternoon, the prime minister said he will raise Japan's sales tax rate in April 2014 to 8 percent from the current 5 percent as planned. Abe's cabinet also approved Tuesday the economic stimulus package, including 1 trillion yen (10.16 billion dollars) in tax reductions to lift business investment and cash benefits for low- income earners. He said the economic stimulus package would "moderate the possible negative effects as much as possible and help the Japanese economy recover and return to a growth path again soon."