The Diet approved an 84.99 trillion yen state budget for fiscal 2000 in record-equaling time Friday evening.
The largest-ever, debt-dependent budget, which the government calls a "final push" to put the economy back on track for a full recovery, cleared the House of Councilors by 141 to 102 vote with support from the ruling coalition -- the Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Party and New Komeito.
Friday's passage of the budget, submitted to the Diet in January, was accomplished as fast as the enactment of the initial fiscal 1999 budget on the same day last year. Fiscal 2000 begins April 1.
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