The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to press for a 4.6 percent increase in its fiscal 2003 budget in order to introduce a 1.04 trillion yen incentive program to boost the nation's birthrate, officials said Wednesday.
Health ministry officials outlined a 19.524 trillion yen budget request in a meeting Wednesday morning with the health, labor and welfare committee of the Liberal Democratic Party.
The proposed child-incentive program includes a 223.2 billion yen outlay to set up child-support programs across Japan, including the appointment of coordinators to oversee child-support programs at local governments.