Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has announced plans to amend the public servant remuneration law to reduce the salaries of cabinet members, including her own, during the current extraordinary Diet session. This move is part of her broader effort to reform government spending and reduce the financial privileges of high-ranking officials.

According to Philippines News Agency, the government is preparing to convene a meeting of relevant ministers as early as Tuesday to discuss the suspension of additional allowances currently granted to the prime minister and cabinet ministers, which are paid in addition to the standard salaries of lawmakers. This initiative underscores Takaichi’s commitment to materializing her long-held goal of cutting the salaries of cabinet members.

The Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), which has recently become a coalition partner with Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party, is also advocating for reforms aimed at curtailing the privileges enjoyed by lawmakers. Prime Minister Takaichi emphasized her dedication to this cause in her inaugural press conference in October, stating, “I’ll work on a law revision so that (cabinet members) do not receive pay exceeding lawmakers’ salaries.”