Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has instructed the justice minister to bolster measures to tackle complaints related to dubious marketing schemes of the former Unification Church.

The religious group has been slapped with allegations it resorted to so-called "spiritual sales" and other shady practices.

The government has established a liaison task force linking the Justice Ministry and other relevant ministries and agencies to deal with the problem.

Starting in September, officials are set to accept complaints nationwide from such victims for about a month.

Kishida, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday, began carrying out his duties online.

On Monday, Kishida instructed Justice Minister Hanashi Yasuhiro to view the situation from the standpoint of the public. He asked the minister to launch discussions aimed at giving full attention to the issue to help the victims.

After the talks, Hanashi told reporters that he wants to show the public that the government is working hard in unison to address the issue.