In a Nov. 5 report to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the Board of Audit said that in fiscal 2009, ministries and agencies as well as other government entities wasted public money in 979 cases. The total reached a record ¥1.79 trillion — some 7.5 times the fiscal 2008 figure.
Waste found by the board has risen from ¥31 billion in fiscal 2006 to ¥125.3 billion in fiscal 2007 and to ¥236.4 billion fiscal 2008. The high figure in fiscal 2009 is attributed to a ¥1.2 trillion surplus the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency has generated in its account for payment of pensions to former Japanese National Railways workers. The agency was ordered to return the surplus to the state coffer.
The board also found that in fiscal 2008, an excess of ¥162.3 billion was transferred from the general account budget to seven special accounts of the health and welfare, farm and transport ministries.