The Japanese Fair Trade Commission has ordered a unit of East Japan Railway Co. to stop blocking its retailing partners from passing the 1 April sales tax hike to their products.
The anti-monopoly watchdog issued the order on Wednesday by making its first use of a special law passed specifically for purpose of ensuring that companies can appropriately transfer the cost of the tax hike, which rose to 8 percent from 5 percent, to their prices.
The subsidiary, JR East Station Retailing Co., operates Ecute shopping areas at five train stations, including Shinagawa and Omiya, that feature food and other shops.
(Source: The Japan Times Online)