The government will decide whether to compile a large-scale auxiliary budget for fiscal 2000 after examining gross domestic product figures for the April-June quarter, Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa said Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference, he said it would not be too late for the government to make a final decision on the matter after GDP data for April through June are released in September.
He said the GDP -- the total value of goods and services produced domestically -- will be positive for the January-March quarter and that when the figures are released in June it will not be time for the government to decide on whether to create a supplementary budget.
The Economic Planning Agency is due to release GDP data for the January-March quarter around June 10. Many private think tanks expect the GDP for the quarter to rack up strong growth following two consecutive periods of decline.
Miyazawa also repeated that it is not necessary to advance orders for public works projects in fiscal 2000, which began April 1, to give yet another push to the economy.
With the general election for the House of Representatives expected in late June, the ruling coalition is turning up the pressure on the government to take additional fiscal stimulus measures, including front-loading public works orders.