ID :
32366
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 21:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/32366
The shortlink copeid
Gov't to submit 2nd extra budget to Diet 'early next year'+
TOKYO, Nov. 25 Kyodo - The government decided Tuesday to submit a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 to tackle the current financial crisis ''early next year'' to a regular Diet session to be convened in January, rather than to the ongoing extra session, Prime Minister Taro Aso said.
Aso's Liberal Democratic Party notified the main opposition Democratic Party of
Japan of the decision at a meeting of senior lawmakers of the two parties, but
the DPJ expressed strong opposition, saying it cannot accept the decision and
urged the LDP to reconsider it, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama told
reporters.
The decision has stirred expectations among ruling parties lawmakers that the
House of Representative election is likely to be called next spring or later
after the fiscal 2009 budget is enacted.
The DPJ, adopting a confrontational approach toward the LDP, plans to submit to
the House of Councillors its own economic measures, according to DPJ lawmakers.
The LDP and the DPJ agreed to hold the first parliamentary debate between Aso,
also LDP chief, and DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa on Friday to discuss mainly the
timing of the submission of the second extra budget, lawmakers said.
Aso said three items -- a budget to secure people's livelihoods, financing for
a bill to bolster the banking sector if it is passed and addressing a large
decline in tax revenues in the current fiscal year -- will be included in the
second extra budget, adding that the amount of the three items is expected to
become clear around Dec. 20.
On the decision made at the meeting of senior government officials and ruling
party lawmakers from the LDP and the New Komeito party, Aso said, ''It would be
appropriate for the (budget) to be submitted altogether early next year as it
could not be compiled very soon.''
He also said the government and the ruling parties will seriously discuss
reform of the tax system and compilation of the fiscal 2009 budget in December
as some items in the measures to secure people's livelihoods will require tax
reform and will be included in the fiscal 2009 budget.
The second extra budget for fiscal 2008 through March 2009 would finance an
additional economic stimulus package worth 26.9 trillion yen, unveiled by Aso
on Oct. 30, to cushion the negative impact of the global financial crisis on
people's livelihoods.
Aso, meanwhile, brushed aside concerns that small and midsize companies could
face financing difficulties from the year-end to the early part of next year
because the new economic package in the second extra budget will not have been
implemented, saying the first extra budget has already been implemented.
On the length of the extension of the current Diet session, Aso said he will
consult with the ruling parties, emphasizing that it is important to secure
passage of the financial bill and a bill to continue Japan's antiterrorism
refueling mission.
Aso said he would like to make a decision on the extension by Friday as the
current session is scheduled to end on Sunday.
The ruling parties plan to have the ongoing Diet session extended beyond its
scheduled end on Nov. 30 in a bid to pass the two bills, according to political
sources.
The ruling parties are considering either extending the session in two stages
or only extending it once beyond the year-end.
The first plan is to extend it to around Dec. 20, when a second vote for the
refueling bill in the lower house becomes capable, and again to around Jan. 5
when a second vote for the financial bill becomes possible if the DPJ refuses
to vote on it, the sources said.
Last week, the DPJ's Ozawa urged Aso to submit the second extra budget during
the current session and said his party would cooperate with the ruling camp in
Diet deliberations if the government submits the extra budget to the ongoing
session.
But Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura expressed skepticism about the DPJ's
intentions, saying the DPJ had broken an agreement reached between it and the
LDP on a voting schedule for the bill to continue Japan's refueling mission.
==Kyodo
2008-11-25 22:20:04
Aso's Liberal Democratic Party notified the main opposition Democratic Party of
Japan of the decision at a meeting of senior lawmakers of the two parties, but
the DPJ expressed strong opposition, saying it cannot accept the decision and
urged the LDP to reconsider it, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama told
reporters.
The decision has stirred expectations among ruling parties lawmakers that the
House of Representative election is likely to be called next spring or later
after the fiscal 2009 budget is enacted.
The DPJ, adopting a confrontational approach toward the LDP, plans to submit to
the House of Councillors its own economic measures, according to DPJ lawmakers.
The LDP and the DPJ agreed to hold the first parliamentary debate between Aso,
also LDP chief, and DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa on Friday to discuss mainly the
timing of the submission of the second extra budget, lawmakers said.
Aso said three items -- a budget to secure people's livelihoods, financing for
a bill to bolster the banking sector if it is passed and addressing a large
decline in tax revenues in the current fiscal year -- will be included in the
second extra budget, adding that the amount of the three items is expected to
become clear around Dec. 20.
On the decision made at the meeting of senior government officials and ruling
party lawmakers from the LDP and the New Komeito party, Aso said, ''It would be
appropriate for the (budget) to be submitted altogether early next year as it
could not be compiled very soon.''
He also said the government and the ruling parties will seriously discuss
reform of the tax system and compilation of the fiscal 2009 budget in December
as some items in the measures to secure people's livelihoods will require tax
reform and will be included in the fiscal 2009 budget.
The second extra budget for fiscal 2008 through March 2009 would finance an
additional economic stimulus package worth 26.9 trillion yen, unveiled by Aso
on Oct. 30, to cushion the negative impact of the global financial crisis on
people's livelihoods.
Aso, meanwhile, brushed aside concerns that small and midsize companies could
face financing difficulties from the year-end to the early part of next year
because the new economic package in the second extra budget will not have been
implemented, saying the first extra budget has already been implemented.
On the length of the extension of the current Diet session, Aso said he will
consult with the ruling parties, emphasizing that it is important to secure
passage of the financial bill and a bill to continue Japan's antiterrorism
refueling mission.
Aso said he would like to make a decision on the extension by Friday as the
current session is scheduled to end on Sunday.
The ruling parties plan to have the ongoing Diet session extended beyond its
scheduled end on Nov. 30 in a bid to pass the two bills, according to political
sources.
The ruling parties are considering either extending the session in two stages
or only extending it once beyond the year-end.
The first plan is to extend it to around Dec. 20, when a second vote for the
refueling bill in the lower house becomes capable, and again to around Jan. 5
when a second vote for the financial bill becomes possible if the DPJ refuses
to vote on it, the sources said.
Last week, the DPJ's Ozawa urged Aso to submit the second extra budget during
the current session and said his party would cooperate with the ruling camp in
Diet deliberations if the government submits the extra budget to the ongoing
session.
But Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura expressed skepticism about the DPJ's
intentions, saying the DPJ had broken an agreement reached between it and the
LDP on a voting schedule for the bill to continue Japan's refueling mission.
==Kyodo
2008-11-25 22:20:04
