Japan economy expected to withstand sales tax hike

TOKYO: Japan's economic recovery is expected to survive the impact from scheduled increases in the sales tax, a Reuters poll showed, as the government prepares economic stimulus measures to soften the blow.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set on Oct. 1 to sign off on an increase in the 5 percent sales tax to 8 percent in April and then to 10 percent in October 2015 to pay for welfare costs.