Top policy officials of the ruling coalition parties on Monday handed Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and his Cabinet a list of 233 public works projects to be canceled in an effort to make Japan's massive construction budget more effective.
The cancellations, if they go through, would free 2.8 trillion yen in taxpayer money that would be spent on "other projects the government deems necessary," according to the coalition.
"The government gravely accepts the proposal and will make an effort to implement it," Mori said after receiving the list of projects to be canceled from the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and New Conservative Party.