The Cabinet approved plans Tuesday to delay the deadline for funds requests made by ministries for the fiscal 2012 budget by a month, citing work on the third supplementary budget and Prime Minister Naoto Kan's imminent resignation.
Kan officially announced his intention to resign next week.
Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda also asked ministries for a 10 percent cut in so-called policy spending for the next fiscal year's budget so funds can be earmarked for social security costs.