Japan’s Aso: We must eventually raise tax, cut healthcare and pension payments

Latest comments from the Japanese finance minister Taro Aso crossed the wires earlier on the day, via Reuters, noting the following:

Pence knows contribution Japan firms making in creating US jobs; hopes Japan and US can agree on trade rules that eventually spread through Asia-Pacific

Resorting to helicopter money, direct debt financing by BOJ would undermine BOJ independence, market confidence on monetary policy

Japan cannot abandon fiscal discipline as doing so could trigger unwelcome inflation that hurts the public

No quick solution to fix Japan's finances; must patiently continue efforts to achieve both economic revival and fiscal reform

We must eventually raise tax, cut healthcare and pension payments, pursue steps to raise inflation to slash Japan's huge public debt

Oil price declines have weighed on Japan's inflation but have been good for Japan's economy

See signs of improvement in Japan private consumption, which will likely help accelerate inflation in the latter half of this year

Improvements in economy are making it more feasible to raise consumption tax