Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa stressed Thursday he wants no increase in budget requests from ministries and agencies for fiscal 2002, so that government spending can be restrained.

"We cannot receive requests above the requests in the previous fiscal year," Shiokawa told a meeting of the Upper House committee on financial affairs.

His comments were in line with the policy of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of restoring balance to the government's deficit-ridden finances. Fiscal 2002 starts April 1, and government ministries and agencies are required to submit their budget requests for the fiscal year by the end of August.