Assurances from Prime Minister Sanae Takachi¡¯s administration that Japan has secured enough naphtha to last into next year has failed to fully prevent panic buying of naphtha-derived products, clogging the distribution chain and resulting in on-the-ground shortages for end users across a broad range of industries.
Amid concerns about whether businesses can secure enough supplies, how much more they¡¯ll cost if they do, and whether they can absorb the additional costs or be forced to pass them along to their customers, some argue that anti-hoarding laws should be enforced.
¡°There is a law called the Anti-Hoarding and Price-Gouging Act. If we take appropriate measures in accordance with this law, it could have a significant impact on businesses across the entire supply chain,¡± Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) head Junya Ogawa told Takaichi during Thursday¡¯s parliamentary budget committee.
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