Japanese vice minister resigns over tax scandal

TOKYO

A Japanese vice finance minister stepped down yesterday, amid criticism from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet, after admitting his company's repeated failures to pay taxes, a further setback to Kishida's unpopular government.

Deputy Finance Minister Kenji Kanda, in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, is the third member of Kishida's Cabinet to resign within two months following a Cabinet shuffle in September.

Kishida later told reporters that he takes responsibility for the appointment of Kanda.

Kanda, a tax accountant-turned-lawmaker, admitted that land and property belonging to his company was seized by the authorities four times between 2013 and 2022 after failures to pay fixed asset taxes, in response to a weekly magazine article that revealed the case earlier this month.

Kishida is seeking to have a snap election before his current term as head of the governing Liberal Democratic Party expires in September so he can serve another term as Japan's leader, but he has been struggling to figure out a timing that would maximize his chance amid his sagging support ratings.

Despite the reshuffle, support for Kishida’s Cabinet has kept dwindling and recent media surveys showed approval ratings falling below 30 percent.