The Foreign Ministry and some LDP policymakers expressed opposition Wednesday to a government panel's decision to cut Official Development Assistance in the fiscal 2002 budget by 10 percent from the initial fiscal 2001 budget.
Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka is expected to voice her opposition to the Finance Ministry and relevant government officials after a key government panel on fiscal and economic policy agreed to the cuts Tuesday, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
The Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy agreed on 10 percent cuts in ODA, public works projects and general policy expenditures as part of ceilings for budgetary requests by ministries and agencies for fiscal 2002.