Tag - spending

 
 

SPENDING

COMMENTARY / World
Feb 16, 2015
Twisted spending priorities of a graying nation
All Americans ought to want effective and efficient government, but government is being strangled as the rising costs of baby-boomer retirees reduce the capacity of other programs to fulfill their missions.
EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2015
Negative savings rates loom
The first-ever annual drop in Japan's household savings rate into negative territory might have been the result of people's rush to buy goods before the consumption tax hike last April. Yet, the long-term downtrend in the savings rate is forecast to continue.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 15, 2015
House votes to undo Obama immigration moves in spending bill
House Republicans voted to try to block President Barack Obama from easing the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, including those brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 20, 2014
A better way to spend yen on schools
Japan's Finance Ministry wants to increase the number of students in each class to save ¥8.6 billion in personnel costs. This will result in 3,325 schools being shuttered and up to 4,000 teachers cashiered. A good idea perhaps, but why not prioritize spending on students who need the most attention?
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 2, 2014
Japan's recession may be shallower than first thought
The third-quarter contraction that tipped Japan into recession may not be as sharp as first thought, with economists revising gross domestic product forecasts as the Lower House election campaign started Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 27, 2014
U.S. consumer, business spending data point to slowing growth
U.S. consumer spending rose modestly in October and a key measure of business spending plans on equipment fell for a second straight month, suggesting some slowing in the pace of economic growth.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2014
China's PLA is getting more bang for the buck
The U.S. on paper may outspend all its rivals to ensure 'military dominance,' but China and Russia, for example, get more bang for the buck with lower salaries and fewer benefits for their soldiers and, in many cases, would pay much less to transport military personnel and equipment to a conflict zone.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 5, 2014
'Abenomics' at risk as firms put brakes on spending, hoard their cash
Japanese companies from NTT Docomo Inc. to Honda Motor Co. are putting the brakes on spending as they pile up cash, showing the challenge Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's new Cabinet faces in reviving the economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 27, 2014
Salarymen get a bit more to spend
Japanese wives are raising their husbands' allowances, but only enough to offset the April 1 tax hike as wages continue to languish.
EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2014
Tax hike alone won't cure fiscal ills
The consumption tax hike alone won't resolve the nation's fiscal and social security woes. It needs to be matched by efforts to rein in government spending.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2014
Shoppers start coping with higher sales tax
Tuesday's hike of the consumption tax to 8 percent saw mixed reactions in Tokyo and Osaka. While consumers in both cities seemed resigned to the increase, there was concern about the additional transportation and food costs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2014
Hidden tax hike surprises await unwary consumers
Tuesday's consumption tax hike will in principle affect all domestic purchases of goods or services, but there are still gray areas where consumers may get surprised by unexpected levies, government officials warn.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2014
Spending logs surprise fall as price pressures rise
Consumers unexpectedly reduce spending two months before the nation's first sales tax hike since 1997 — potential sign that emerging inflationary pressures are undermining purchasing power.

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’