SAPPORO -- The municipal government of Hokkaido's capital will dial down the basic charge for water to zero in October and November to help households amid soaring prices, it announced on July 14.
The city will add 12,194,000,000 yen (about $88 million) to the fiscal 2022 general account in a supplementary budget bill to cover the cost.
The 2,904-yen (approx. $21) basic water utility charge for the two months will be free for each of some 1.02 million households in the city. Residents do not need to take any action to benefit from the initiative. Also, the city government will distribute 10,000-yen ($72) special cash handouts to all residents aged 18 or younger regardless of family income.
Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto told a July 14 press conference, "We can't foresee how these high prices will go, though they're expected to continue a long time. We'll establish a system to continually ease the burden on citizens and businesses."
