- Japan is launching a contest dubbed “Sake Viva!” to try to boost consumption among young people.
- Alcohol tax revenues will drop by $800 million in 2020.
- Tax officials blamed the drop in alcohol sales on the country’s “declining birthrate and ageing population”.
The country is launching a new contest dubbed “Sake Viva!” to try to boost the consumption of alcohol among young people, Because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the restaurant and nightlife industries in Japan.
“The purpose of this announcement is to revitalize the industry,” Japan’s National Tax Agency said in announcing the plan, according to a translation.
Applicants between the ages of 20 and 39 are encouraged to submit business plans to increase alcohol sales to young people in advance of a November contest.
According to the Japanese media, alcohol tax revenues will drop by $800 million in 2020.
“As working from home made strides to a certain extent during the COVID-19 crisis, many people may have come to question whether they need to continue the habit of drinking with colleagues to deepen communication,” an official from Japan’s National Tax Agency told the newspaper earlier this month.
“If the ‘new normal’ takes root, that will be an additional headwind for tax revenue.”
Tax officials also blamed the drop in alcohol sales on the country’s “declining birthrate and ageing population.”
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