Japan seen missing debt reduction target for fiscal 2018 – Nikkei

According to the Nikkei Asian Review, efforts to improve Japan's fiscal health are being knocked off track as lower-than-expected revenues put the fiscal 2018 target out of reach.

The article reports, “Even with the global economy picking up and the yen having weakened sharply, improvements in Japan's fiscal health have been delayed. Balancing economic growth and fiscal responsibility will be a challenge for the government.”

“The government sees its goal of achieving a primary surplus in fiscal 2020 as a promise to the world. Fiscal 2018, when the primary deficit-to-GDP ratio was initially projected to drop to around 1%, was positioned as a milestone toward this end.”