Sputtering economy creates uncertainty over Abe's tax hike plan

The government, meanwhile, stressed that the world's third-largest economy is "recovering,"

Time to play a new tune. The tape recorder they have been using to constantly repeat this line, is broken.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the economy has been 'recovering' for twenty years, but nothing has changed. Recovering means to get better., not worse. This article blames all kinds of international factors for Japan's dwindling economy. However, the reality is, Japanese people are being screwed by poor management and a total lack of insight from those cronies that remain in power. They are just recycling the same policies from 30 years ago and expect some kind of miracle to regain the international markets which no longer belong to Japan. The Japanese economy needs to be fixed domestically, not internationally. This sales tax hike will really screw up Japan. The post Olympics Japan is going to be a very desperate place. I advise everybody to send your savings overseas and plan to get the heck out of here before you become an economic prisoner.

If Trump and Bolton continue with their agenda with Iran, look for an increase in oil prices. Abe's tax increase, Trump's high tariffs, and an increase in oil prices will be a great combination for a disaster, all man made. Speaking of disaster, the natural kind, of which Japan is plagued with, throw that into the mix and Japan will be facing a a threat to its very existence. Abenomics anyone?

.The combined net profit of companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section fell 7.3 percent in fiscal 2018 from a year earlier to 33.5 trillion yen ($306 billion), marking the first decline in three years, on a downturn in China, according to data compiled by SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

Meanwhile,how many mere mortals can claim their income increased and their livelihood improved during this period companies were making record profits.

The govt should have set growth and fiscal targets as conditions for hiking the tax. Sometimes it seems a bunch of 12-year-olds are running the economy.

Japanese people are being screwed by poor management and a total lack of insight from those cronies that remain in power. 

The people doing the "screwing" are in the corporate boardrooms, where "wage suppression" is the mantra.

sputtering economy continues. Japan's social stability owes greatly to cheap medical expenses for old folks. They have to raise the tax to keep it.

It's resting. Beautiful plumage

Abe won't be "forced" to postpone the tax hike: he will do it to gain political advantage, regardless of the effect on the economy.

I wish they would stop blaming it on the USA and China. Japans economy has been on halt since the 90s and has never changed. It ridiculous. Plus they probably did it to themselves when they first implemented the sales tax for the first time. If they never added a sales tax maybe the economy would of been number 1.

Disillusion is right. Olympics was a terrible idea and will cost everyone dearly.

Just tax us to death. You'll never have enough money. They more they take, the more they will spend.

If this tax is not imposed, Japan will go bankrupt, to do or not to do depends on how educated the economist helping abe are.???

The government ... stressed that the ... economy is "recovering,"

I have often wondered about this curious wording.

By what criteria might the government eventually declare the economy "recovered"?

Why don't they simply state the economy is "growing"?

At this stage in 2019, comparing the state of the economy to that 30 years ago (if that is somewhat of a reference point) is questionable.