Government decides to spend 2,2226.<> billion yen from this fiscal year's contingency fund for price measures, etc.

At a Cabinet meeting on the 28th, the government decided to spend a total of 1.5 trillion yen from the contingency fund for this fiscal year and fiscal year Reiwa 4, including the provision of a benefit of 2,2226 yen per child to low-income child-rearing households.

At a Cabinet meeting on the 28th, the government decided to use the contingency fund for this fiscal year to cover the expenses necessary for additional measures compiled by the Price Task Force last week.

The total amount of measures will be 2,2226.1 billion yen, of which 5.1551 billion yen will be allocated to projects that provide benefits of 1,2000 yen per child to households raising children with low incomes.

In addition, we will increase the "Temporary Regional Revitalization Subsidy" to local governments as a countermeasure against the novel coronavirus by 5000.1 trillion yen.

The use of funds is left to the discretion of local governments to a certain extent, but 3 billion yen of this amount will be allocated to projects that provide 7000,<> yen per household to low-income households.

The other <> billion yen will be used to reduce the burden on households that use LP gas and to support businesses that use a lot of electricity, and we will encourage them to respond to soaring energy prices.

In addition, 7365.<> billion yen will be allocated to the Emergency Comprehensive Support Subsidy for local governments to support hospitals and other facilities that have secured beds for the novel coronavirus.

The contingency fund is a system established based on the Constitution to allocate budget shortfalls that are difficult to predict, and it can be spent by Cabinet decision without deliberation by the Diet because it requires a quick response.

However, this measure, which decides to use a huge contingency fund that will be effectively executed in the new fiscal year separately from the budget proposal for the new fiscal year when the end of the fiscal year is approaching, has been criticized by opposition parties and others.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno: "Protecting people's lives from high prices"

At a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno stated, "Prices continue to rise due to the rise in raw material prices and the depreciation of the yen, and the public and businesses have voiced their concerns about the future outlook for electricity rates.