トリガー条項の凍結解除検討へ　岸田首相、自公国３党の協議指示

　岸田文雄首相（自民党総裁）は２２日、来春以降の燃料費の高騰対策について、ガソリン税を一時的に引き下げる「トリガー条項」の凍結解除を含め、自民、公明、国民民主３党の政策責任者間で協議するよう、自民党の萩生田光一政調会長に指示した。ただ、政府・与党内では凍結解除に慎重論が根強く、先行きは不透明だ。
　これに先立ち、国民の玉木雄一郎代表は衆院予算委員会で、燃料油の激変緩和措置の期限が来年４月末に切れた後の対策として、トリガー条項の凍結を解除するよう改めて要求。「首相が決断するなら２０２３年度補正予算案に賛成してもいい」と迫った。首相は「凍結解除も含め、ぜひ与党と国民民主党で検討したい」と応じた。（2023/11/22-21:19）

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday ordered his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to hold talks with two other parties on the possibility of a temporary cut in gasoline tax.
   Kishida instructed LDP policy chief Koichi Hagiuda to hold talks with his counterparts from Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, and the opposition Democratic Party for the People on the possibility of lifting the freeze on the so-called trigger clause to enable the tax cut.
   The instruction came after DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki demanded the lifting of the freeze at a parliamentary meeting earlier on Wednesday. Tamaki sought to remove the freeze after subsidies aimed at curbing prices for oil for fuel expire at the end of April next year.
   In response, Kishida said that the ruling coalition and the DPFP will consider the possibility of lifting the freeze.
   Hagiuda told reporters after receiving the instruction from Kishida that he is willing to consider a wide range of options that can replace the subsidies.