The compilation on Monday of an 81.23 trillion yen general account budget for fiscal 2002 highlights a significant shift of authority in the drafting of national budgets -- an area long dominated by the Finance Ministry.
The economic advisory panel that serves Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took the lead for the first time in influencing budgetary matters.
But the move also exposed the limitations of the panel, which is part of the Cabinet Office, leaving unanswered the question of who really holds the policymaking initiative.