The Lower House passed a ¥90.3 trillion budget for fiscal 2012 on Thursday, ensuring the legislation will be enacted, but the opposition camp could still prevent it from entering into force before the new fiscal year starts.

Given the tight deliberation schedule in the opposition-controlled Upper House, the budget is unlikely to clear the chamber in time to be enacted by March 31, the final day of fiscal 2011.

Any such delay would force the ruling Democratic Party of Japan to submit a provisional budget to the Diet to cover a budgetary gap from April 1, the start of the new fiscal year.