The Lower House on Thursday approved a draft ¥13.1 trillion extra budget for fiscal 2012 to finance a huge economic stimulus package aimed at shoring up the recession-hit economy.
The vote, dominated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition, came ahead of Upper House debates that may commence as early as Monday on the supplementary budget for the year through March. It is the second-biggest extra budget on record.
The opposition-controlled Upper House is expected to vote against the extra budget. Nevertheless, it will ultimately be enacted given the precedence of Lower House decisions over those of the Upper House under the Constitution.