Diet passes 82 trillion yen '04 budget

[Hachiko]

The Diet on Friday passed the fiscal 2004 budget, which totals 82.11 trillion yen.
The amount is up 0.4 percent from the previous year's initial budget. Policy-related general expenditures -- the budget's core -- amount to 47.63 trillion yen, up 0.1 percent. The government will issue a record 36.59 trillion yen in fresh government bonds under the budget.

With the enactment of the budget, which comes in time for the Thursday start of fiscal 2004, the Diet will begin deliberations next week on major bills, including those on pension system reform and privatization of the highway corporations.

Japan Times

[名無し]

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