The Abe administration plans to lift the ceiling on interest-free loans to Tokyo Electric Power Co. to ¥9 trillion, up from the current ¥5 trillion, to help pay compensation to victims of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and decontamination efforts, a source said.
Officials had considered a ¥10 trillion cap but lowered it because compensation payments are now estimated to show a smaller increase than previously thought, the source said Tuesday.
The ¥4 trillion increase comprises ¥500 billion for compensation, ¥2.5 trillion for decontamination and ¥1 trillion for constructing and managing interim storage facilities for radioactive materials.
The loans will be in the form of a bond Tepco can cash when needed.