Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka stressed Tuesday that he would not resign, because it is imperative that he carry out his duties and try to secure Diet passage of bills and the fiscal 1998 budget.Speaking at a regular news conference, Mitsuzuka pointed out that he was responsible for drawing up both the supplementary budget for the current year and the budget for the year beginning April 1.There are also various bills regarding tax reductions and the stability of the financial system that are essential to boosting the economy, he added. "It is natural that I do all I can to have everything enacted by the Diet. That is the basis of my responsibility" as finance minister, he said in response to questions regarding whether he would step down to take the blame for the lackluster economy.
