Japanese government’s extraordinary move; salaries of Prime Minister, entire cabinet to be cut; Find out how much their current salary is

New Delhi: Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is going to introduce an extraordinary proposal in Parliament, which will approve a salary cut for herself and her cabinet. The Japan Times reported this information, citing government sources. According to the Japan Times report, this proposal is expected to be discussed at a meeting of relevant ministers on Tuesday. Under this proposal, the additional allowances currently paid to the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, in addition to their MP salaries, will be suspended.

Sanae Takaichi is first woman PM

Takaichi’s move is part of a broader effort to demonstrate her commitment to administrative and financial reforms. Sanae Takaichi, who made history last month by becoming the first woman to be elected as Prime Minister in Japan, reiterated her previous stance on salary cuts at her inaugural press conference. She said, “I will work on amending the law so that Cabinet members do not receive salaries higher than MPs.”

How much is her current salary?

The Japanese government is considering amending the law to clarify that additional allowances will not be provided to the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers. Currently, MPs in Japan receive a monthly salary of 1.294 million yen (Rs 7,41,837). The Prime Minister receives an additional 1.152 million yen (Rs 6,60,429) and Cabinet Ministers receive 4.89 million yen (Rs 28,03,387).

Coalition partner support

Currently, as part of cost-cutting measures, the Prime Minister returns 30 percent of their additional salary, and ministers 20 percent. The planned salary cuts are supported by the Liberal Democratic Party’s new coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. The JIP has also called for a reduction in MPs’ privileges. JIP leader Fumitake Fujita praised the Takaichi reform initiative, calling it a wonderful initiative.