Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa unveiled Wednesday the outline of the ministry's draft general account budget for fiscal 2002, worth 81.23 trillion yen.
The draft budget, which the ministry plans to bring before the Cabinet today, is 1.7 percent less than the initial 2001 figure of 82.65 trillion yen, marking the smallest initial budget in four years.
Shiokawa said Wednesday evening that the budget is aimed at increasing the efficiency of state finances and promoting the structural reforms pursued by the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.