The government will consider making antiterrorism measures and logistic support to U.S. military operations in Afghanistan exempt from the 30 trillion yen cap on new bond issues for this fiscal year, Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said Wednesday.
"We would like to consider doing it, although it remains unclear how much antiterrorism measures and international contributions will cost," Shiokawa told the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Affairs.
The fiscal 2001 budget sets the sum of net bond issues to 28.3 trillion yen, leaving room for 1.7 trillion yen in new bond issues for a supplementary budget to be submitted to the Diet during the current session.