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▼ Japan Main Opposition Party Pushes PM To Rework Budget Plan
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Japan's main opposition party on Friday demanded the revision of a draft state budget plan already submitted to parliament, ratcheting up pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who as head of a minority government has promised to heed calls from the opposition.
The proposed revisions unveiled by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan call for changes worth nearly 3.8 trillion yen ($25 billion) to fund education-related measures to ease the burden on households and end a gasoline surcharge, party chief Yoshihiko Noda said.
Other proposed changes include blocking the government's bid to ask patients who are already paying high medical costs, such as those with cancer, to bear more.
Noda, Japan's prime minister between 2011 and 2012 when the CDPJ's predecessor was in power, said the revisions were aimed at demonstrating that the party "can take charge of government."
The CDPJ plans to hold discussions with the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party on revising the budget plan, already at a record-high 115.54 trillion yen, to boost defense capabilities and address the needs of Japan's rapidly graying population.
Ishiba's government is hoping to secure parliamentary approval for the budget plan before the next fiscal year starting April, meaning it would have to clear the lower house by March 2 at a time when households are struggling to cope with rising prices for everyday goods.
The CDPJ's move puts the focus on how far the government and the ruling coalition will compromise over the state budget, which reflects the current administration's policy priorities.
Since the ruling parties lost their majority in the powerful House of Representatives in last October's general election, the prime minister has prioritized "thorough" discussions with an emboldened opposition.
The backing of the Democratic Party for the People, an opposition party that gained strength in the election, paved the way for the enactment last year of a supplementary budget for fiscal 2024.
The LDP and Komeito have been in talks with the Japan Innovation Party to find common ground on the opposition party's demand for free high school education, in their latest attempt to seek policy coordination and ensure smooth Diet deliberations.
The proposed revisions unveiled by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan call for changes worth nearly 3.8 trillion yen ($25 billion) to fund education-related measures to ease the burden on households and end a gasoline surcharge, party chief Yoshihiko Noda said.
Other proposed changes include blocking the government's bid to ask patients who are already paying high medical costs, such as those with cancer, to bear more.
Noda, Japan's prime minister between 2011 and 2012 when the CDPJ's predecessor was in power, said the revisions were aimed at demonstrating that the party "can take charge of government."
The CDPJ plans to hold discussions with the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party on revising the budget plan, already at a record-high 115.54 trillion yen, to boost defense capabilities and address the needs of Japan's rapidly graying population.
Ishiba's government is hoping to secure parliamentary approval for the budget plan before the next fiscal year starting April, meaning it would have to clear the lower house by March 2 at a time when households are struggling to cope with rising prices for everyday goods.
The CDPJ's move puts the focus on how far the government and the ruling coalition will compromise over the state budget, which reflects the current administration's policy priorities.
Since the ruling parties lost their majority in the powerful House of Representatives in last October's general election, the prime minister has prioritized "thorough" discussions with an emboldened opposition.
The backing of the Democratic Party for the People, an opposition party that gained strength in the election, paved the way for the enactment last year of a supplementary budget for fiscal 2024.
The LDP and Komeito have been in talks with the Japan Innovation Party to find common ground on the opposition party's demand for free high school education, in their latest attempt to seek policy coordination and ensure smooth Diet deliberations.
- 14/2 21:51
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