Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday the government is considering retaining 5 percent of its planned public works and other expenditures for fiscal 2011 and shifting the money into reconstruction efforts for the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The government has set aside some ¥5.9 trillion for public works projects and other expenditures, including the maintenance of government buildings, in the state budget for the new fiscal year that started Friday.