The Democratic Party of Japan may redeploy as much as ¥5 trillion in stimulus spending currently earmarked for "wasteful" programs, party lawmaker Hirohisa Fujii said.
"We should cut these projects considerably," Fujii, 77, regarded as a contender for finance minister, said in an interview Thursday in Tokyo. Scrapping plans for measures including a "manga" comic-book museum would free up funds to spend on child care, education and support for workers, he said.
The amount is the first specific estimate provided by the DPJ, which won power for the first time in the Aug. 30 election on a promise to help households as the country struggles to emerge from its worst postwar recession. Economists have questioned whether the plans to cut public-works spending and shrink the bureaucracy will be sufficient, saying bond sales may have to be boosted.