Japan Fujii:Govt aims to decide on tax on Tuesday

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TOKYO Dec 21 (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said on Monday the government is aiming to decide on tax reform for the fiscal year from April on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama needs to decide whether to scale back some of his campaign pledges, such as abolishing an additional tax on gasoline, as he seeks to limit new bond issues next fiscal year to avoid credit downgrades.

Fujii also told reporters that it is "sensible" to expect the government to compile its budget for the year on December 25.

Hatoyama took power in September, ousting the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, calling for a shift in the focus of economic policy towards households and consumers from big business.

(Reporting by Hideyuki Sano)