Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa on Monday called for swift passage of a 81.23 trillion yen general-account budget for fiscal 2002, designed to accommodate structural reform measures pursued by the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
In a fiscal policy speech before a Lower House plenary session, Shiokawa also reiterated that the government plans to work on a comprehensive overhaul of the taxation system this year.
"This budget is a first step toward creating a self-sustaining public finance system," Shiokawa told the Lower House. "While aiming to optimize the effect of government expenditures, the budget allocates ample funds to the areas that are expected to lead growth."