Budgetary constraints will make it "extremely difficult" for the government to provide full monthly child allowances starting in fiscal 2011 in line with a pledge by the Democratic Party of Japan, according to Senior Vice Finance Minister Naoki Minezaki.
With his remark, Minezaki has joined the chorus of lawmakers in the ruling DPJ calling for a re-examination of the party's pledges made before last year's election.
"Personally, I've been thinking it's extremely difficult" to guarantee a monthly allowance of ¥26,000 for each child of junior high school age or younger, Minezaki told reporters Monday, adding he took this view "well before" Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda made similar remarks over the weekend.
Minezaki said he has discovered how tough it is to raise enough money for the DPJ's key pledges after drafting the fiscal 2010 budget, amid a shortfall in tax revenues.
"There are things we understand only after coming to power," Minezaki said. "It would be better to speak truthfully."
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Naoto Kan said he will make efforts to provide the full amount in the fiscal year starting in April 2011.
"Since we have promised the child care allowance in the (DPJ's) manifesto of last year, I would like to continue to make efforts toward realizing that," Kan said at a news conference.
Minezaki, along with Noda, suggested the DPJ needs to review some of its pledges prior to this summer's Upper House election.