Japan ruling party head candidate Kishida calls for big stimulus package

Fumio Kishida, Japan
Fumio Kishida, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker and former foreign minister, announces his candidacy for the party's presidential election at a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, August 26, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan must compile an economic stimulus package worth "tens of trillions of yen" to combat the coronavirus pandemic, former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who is challenging Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in the race for ruling party chief, said on Thursday.

The package must be compiled "swiftly" and include cash payouts to non-permanent workers and others who will be affected by steps to contain the flow of people, Kishida said in a news conference.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto and Kiyoshi Takenaka, writing by Leika Kihara; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

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