The government is expected to face growing pressure in 2008 to more actively invest its nearly $1 trillion (¥113 trillion) in foreign reserves to help restore the health of state finances.

The nation's foreign reserves — the world's second-largest after China — have been a source of debate over whether the government should more actively invest the funds for higher returns.

Recent data from the Finance Ministry showed that the government scored a 4 percent return on the investment of its foreign reserves in fiscal 2006, the highest return in five years until the year to last March.