Three opposition parties, including the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, jointly submitted a bill Monday to make school lunches free at public elementary and junior high schools.
The bill to revise the school lunch program law was submitted to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, by the CDP, Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Democratic Party for the People.
The measure is expected to cost around ¥490 billion a year. The trio hopes to include the necessary expenses in a draft fiscal 2025 budget to introduce the measure in April 2025.
CDP Executive Deputy President Akira Nagatsuma told reporters, "We hope to bring the opposition parties together and put forth (the bill) to the ruling camp."
Nippon Ishin policy head Hitoshi Aoyagi said that such a united move by the opposition will encourage the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, to take such a proposal into serious consideration.
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