ポイント還元、１週間で６０億円＝対象店舗５２万店に－経産省

　経済産業省は１１日、消費税増税に合わせて１日に始まったポイント還元制度について、７日までの１週間の還元額が合計約６０億円だったと発表した。制度を使える登録店舗は１１日時点で約５２万店に増えた。経産省は「順調な滑り出し」と評価しているが、利用できる中小店舗は全国の対象となる店（約２００万店）の４分の１にとどまる。
　還元制度は来年６月末まで中小の小売店などでクレジットカードや電子マネーといったキャッシュレス決済で支払うと、消費者に最大５％相当を還元する仕組み。消費税増税後の景気落ち込みを抑制するのが狙いで、政府は決済事業者に還元分の原資を補助する。（2019/10/11-19:39）

The Japanese industry ministry said Friday that the total amount of reward points given in a state-funded program introduced on Oct. 1 reached some 6 billion yen in the first week through Monday.
   The program, aimed at offsetting the economic hit from the consumption tax hike to 10 pct from 8 pct at the start of the month, will continue until the end of June next year.
   Consumers who use cashless payment methods to buy goods and services at stores and other facilities are rewarded with points worth up to 5 pct of the purchase amount.
   The industry ministry said that the program had "a steady start," with the number of stores and others participating in the program coming to around 520,000 as of Friday. The figure is still around a quarter of the total of some two million stores eligible to take part in the initiative.
   The government, which subsidizes stores to make up for revenue lost from awarding the points, estimates the amount of funds to cover the subsidies at some 180 billion yen under its budget for fiscal 2019, which ends next March.