Japan's economic stimulus package to ease the potential negative impact of next April's sales tax hike will be worth around ¥18.6 trillion, with fresh central government spending totaling ¥5.5 trillion, sources said Wednesday.
The latest stimulus package would be as large as the one worth around ¥20 trillion mapped out in January, in an attempt to perk up Japan's lethargic economy beset by deflation.
To finance the package that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet plans to endorse Thursday, an extra budget for the current fiscal year through next March is expected to be compiled as early as Dec. 12, the sources said.