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Toshiba shareholders oust chairman Nagayama

Toshiba shareholders oust chairman Nagayama

SHAREHOLDERS of Japanese conglomerate Toshiba voted the chairman Osamu Nagayama out on Friday (25).

Nagayama's ousting comes after the company was found to have colluded with the government to suppress the interests of foreign investors.


One of Toshiba's largest shareholders, 3D Investment Partners, which had previously called for Nagayama's resignation, welcomed the result.

"We hope that today's (25) AGM (annual general meeting) marks the beginning of a new era at Toshiba - one that will be marked by a focus on value creation, transparency to all stakeholders and a renewed commitment to building trust with shareholders," it said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Toshiba shareholders won a battle to secure an investigation into allegations that overseas investors were pressured to vote in line with management board's nominees.

The inquiry revealed that the troubled industrial conglomerate "devised a plan to effectively prevent shareholders from exercising their shareholder proposal right and voting rights" at a meeting in July 2020.

Nagayama joined Toshiba's board in the middle of 2021 after the lobbying of foreign shareholders allegedly took place.

The newly-elected board will meet later on Friday (25) to discuss a potential new chairman.

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The Treasury is considering a new tax on the sale of homes worth more than £500,000 as part of a radical overhaul of stamp duty and council tax.

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Property experts urge Rachel Reeves to scrap stamp duty ahead of budget

Highlights

  • Kirstie Allsopp tells MPs that stamp duty punishes buyers and should be abolished.
  • 40 per cent of first-time buyers now face stamp duty, rising to 80 per cent in London.
  • Treasury considering annual property tax on homes worth over £500,000 as alternative.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing mounting pressure to abolish stamp duty ahead of the November (26) budget, with property experts warning that the tax is stalling the housing market and damaging economic growth.

Television presenter Kirstie Allsopp, known for Channel 4's Location, Location, Location, told the Treasury committee that buyers are 'in a panic' about potential changes and many are 'sitting tight' rather than moving house.

Tim Leunig, director of economics at Public First Consulting and former adviser to several ministers including Rishi Sunak, went further. He pointed that every single person in the country is a loser from stamp duty land tax because it restricts people from moving. The people who are the biggest losers are genuinely young people because they move more often.

However, Leunig cautioned that simply abolishing stamp duty would likely drive up house prices, particularly in London. Instead, he has proposed an annual property tax on homes worth above £500,000, with a 0.54 per cent yearly levy on home value and a higher rate for properties exceeding £1 m.

The Guardian revealed in August that the Treasury is considering a new tax on the sale of homes worth more than £500,000 as part of a radical overhaul of stamp duty and council tax.

The debate comes at a critical time for the housing market, with stamp duty currently levied on property purchases above £125,000.

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