TOKYO - A supplementary budget worth 18.3 trillion yen for the current fiscal year was approved by a majority vote in the Lower House Budget Committee on December 11th, backed by the ruling coalition and part of the opposition, and is expected to pass the upcoming plenary session before being sent to the Upper House.
The package underpins the Takai administration’s economic measures, expanding more than 4 trillion yen from last year, and allocates 8.9 trillion yen to counter rising prices through measures such as a uniform 20,000-yen payment per child, winter subsidies for electricity and gas bills, food assistance funded through local grants, and the removal of the temporary gasoline tax surcharge.
The Democratic Party for the People supported the bill, citing the inclusion of funding for eliminating the provisional gasoline tax, while Komeito also voted in favor after noting that several of its proposals — including a 20,000-yen child allowance — were reflected in the final plan.
The Constitutional Democratic Party opposed the budget, arguing that it contains “too many unnecessary expenditures despite inadequate measures to address inflation.”
The government and ruling bloc aim to secure passage of the bill before the end of the current Diet session on December 17th.
Source: TBS
