Any acceleration of BOJ ETF sales beyond the current pace of around 330 billion yen annually could introduce fresh supply pressure on Japanese equities, particularly if markets interpret faster unwinding as a signal the central bank is willing to move away from its cautious, market friendly approach. Given the BOJ's stated preference to avoid disrupting stock prices, any political push to speed up sales would likely be watched closely by equity investors for signs of a shift in that stance. The broader funding debate around Takaichi's tax cut plan also keeps Japan's fiscal position in focus, particularly given her stated aim to avoid new debt issuance, which could have implications for JGB market sentiment if alternative funding sources prove insufficient.-Earlier:Fitch says further yen gains require BOJ rate hikesA ruling party lawmaker suggests the BOJ's giant ETF stockpile could help plug the funding gap from Japan's new food sales tax cut.Summary:The Japanese government has approved PM Sanae Takaichi's plan to cut the sales tax on food items from 8% to 1% for two yearsThe revenue shortfall from the cut is estimated at around 5 trillion yen annually, and Takaichi has pledged not to fund it with fresh debtLDP tax panel lawmaker Daishiro Yamagiwa suggested selling some of the BOJ's 37 trillion yen in ETF holdings as a possible funding sourceYamagiwa noted that at the BOJ's current pace, it would take roughly a century to sell all its ETF holdings, and argued high stock prices make speeding up sales worth consideringThe BOJ is currently selling ETFs at an annual pace of around 330 billion yen under a plan set last September, aimed at unwinding stimulus era holdingsThe central bank has said it is moving slowly deliberately, to avoid disrupting the stock market as it unwinds 13 years of ETF purchasesA senior lawmaker within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has floated tapping the Bank of Japan's vast ETF holdings as a way to help fund Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's planned cut to the sales tax on food, raising the prospect that the central bank's balance sheet could become a more prominent part of the country's fiscal debate.The Japanese government signed off on Wednesday on Takaichi's flagship proposal to reduce the sales tax on food items to 1% from 8% for a period of two years. The plan is moving forward despite growing concern over Japan's already strained public finances, with Takaichi having pledged not to rely on fresh debt issuance to cover the resulting revenue shortfall, which is estimated at around 5 trillion yen, or roughly $31.71 billion, annually. Instead, her government has said it will look to non-tax revenue sources to fill the gap.Daishiro Yamagiwa, a senior lawmaker on the LDP's tax panel, suggested in comments aired on an online programme Tuesday that proceeds from selling down the BOJ's ETF holdings could be one option worth considering. The central bank currently holds around 37 trillion yen in ETFs, accumulated over 13 years of purchases originally intended to help reflate Japan's economy during a prolonged period of stagnation.Yamagiwa argued that at the BOJ's current pace of sales, it would take roughly a century to fully unwind the holdings, and suggested that with stock prices currently elevated, accelerating the pace of sales would not necessarily be harmful. "Under the BOJ's current plan, it would take a century to sell all of its ETF holdings. Stock prices are so high now that it won't hurt to think about speeding up the pace of sales," he said.Under a framework established in September last year, the BOJ has been selling its ETF holdings at an annual pace of around 330 billion yen, part of a broader effort to dismantle the remnants of its massive stimulus programme. The central bank has said it deliberately opted for a slow, gradual pace in order to avoid disrupting the stock market as it works through the large stockpile built up over more than a decade of asset purchases.Yamagiwa's comments signal that the BOJ's ETF holdings could increasingly become a subject of political attention as Japan's government searches for ways to fund Takaichi's tax cut without adding to the country's debt burden, a dynamic that may put the central bank's asset unwind strategy under closer scrutiny in the months ahead. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.