Finance Minister Suzuki delivered a fiscal speech at the plenary session of the House of Representatives, calling the budget bill for the new fiscal year 2024 ``a budget to take on challenges that cannot be postponed and to grasp the flow of change,'' and asked for cooperation in quickly enacting it. I did.
In his speech, Finance Minister Suzuki pointed out the current state of the Japanese economy, saying, ``We are seeing positive trends, such as the highest wage increases in 30 years and companies formulating ambitious investment plans.'' ``It is important to achieve sustainable, structural wage increases and sustainable growth led by private demand.''
Regarding the new fiscal year budget proposal submitted to the current Diet session, he said, ``This is a budget to take on challenges that cannot be postponed and to seize the flow of change,'' and said that it will flexibly implement countermeasures against rising prices, such as creating an environment that promotes wage increases. He explained that he had recorded 1 trillion yen in contingency funds.
Separately, he also emphasized that general contingency funds have been doubled from this fiscal year's original budget to 1 trillion yen in response to recovery and reconstruction efforts from the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred in January.
Finally, Minister Suzuki stated, ``We must take on challenges that cannot be postponed, rebuild Japan's economy, work towards fiscal health, and pass on a society of hope to the next generation.'' We asked for cooperation in its prompt establishment.