FOCUS: Kishida's Decision Awaited on Ending Child Allowance Income Limit

Tokyo, Feb. 4 (Jiji Press)--A decision by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is awaited on whether to remove the income limit for parents to receive child allowances as leaders of both ruling and opposition parties are demanding an end to the cap.

Whether to remove the income cap is a major issue as the government plans to draw up an outline of unprecedented measures to address the country's low birthrate at the end of March. Some people in the government remain cautious about the removal.

On Friday, Kishida held talks with Toshimitsu Motegi, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who proposed scrapping the income limit during a parliamentary meeting on Jan. 25. During the 45-minute talks, the two may have discussed the income cap.

Kishida declined to comment explicitly on the proposed abolition during recent parliamentary meetings.

Masanobu Ogura, minister in charge of child-related policies, also made no in-depth statements on a proposed child allowance expansion at a parliamentary meeting Friday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]