Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, and Sankei wrote that at the first meeting on Tuesday of a government task force on rising prices, Prime Minister Kishida mentioned a government plan to establish a new system to ease the impact of rising electricity prices by awarding power-saving households points that can be used to lower their utility bills. The papers speculated that the measure is aimed at demonstrating the government’s efforts to address surging energy and other prices ahead of the House of Councillors election on July 10. Kishida also said that the government will take emergency measures to deal with the rising prices of wheat, fertilizer, livestock feed and energy.