Requests for the fiscal 2003 general account budget from government ministries and agencies stand at 86.78 trillion yen, up 6.8 percent from the initial budget for the current fiscal year, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.

The request amount has risen because the ministry has given ministries leeway to request up to 20 percent more than usual for discretionary spending and public investment in a bid to inspire more innovative requests.

But with the government committed to keeping the budget at or below the fiscal 2002 level, some of these requests will be rejected.