Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto indicated Monday that his government will consider a proposal by a senior Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker for an extra budget of about 6 trillion yen to be compiled for fiscal 1998 to give an additional boost to the nation's fragile economy.

During the day's Lower House Budget Committee session, Hashimoto, also president of the LDP, said he will "of course be paying attention to various opinions voiced by party colleagues as well as private-sector people." He added that the government's priority right now is to make sure that the supplementary budget for fiscal 1997 and the annual budget for fiscal 1998, which has already been submitted to the Diet, are enacted without delay. Fiscal 1998 starts April 1.

He was responding to a question about a remark made Saturday by Hiromu Nonaka, deputy LDP secretary general, who urged the government to start discussing a new extra budget as soon as the fiscal 1998 annual budget clears the Diet, either in late March or early April.

The proposal by Nonaka involves the formulation of a supplementary budget for fiscal 1998 immediately after the year begins April 1. Nonaka told reporters late Monday that he hopes the LDP's policy research affairs council will soon turn his proposal into one of the party's official policies.

He said the extra budget can be financed by issuing more government bonds, which can then be repaid by extra revenues expected in 2000 and 2001 from tax on interest from fixed-deposit postal savings accounts, which reach maturity in those years.

Vice Finance Minister Koji Tanami said Monday that priority at present lies with securing swift Diet passage of the supplementary budget for fiscal 1997 and the fiscal 1998 state budget. He said he is not yet aware of details regarding the 6 trillion yen pump-priming package proposed Saturday by Nonaka.

The LDP has become increasingly concerned over the economy's lackluster performance and many party officials have begun to openly discuss the possibility of decelerating the government's efforts at fiscal reconsolidation if needed.