The Abe administration will compile a stopgap budget to fund government spending for 11 days starting April 1 as the budget for fiscal 2015 is unlikely to be enacted by March 31, Finance Minister Taro Aso said Friday.
"Though the administration will continue to make every effort to have (the annual budget) enacted as early as possible, we cannot allow any vacuum in budget implementation," Aso told a news conference.
"We'd like to start compiling a provisional budget by obtaining cooperation from related ministries and agencies," he added.
Administration sources said the size of the stopgap budget is likely to be nearly ¥6 trillion, covering minimum requirements such as social security and salaries for government workers.
The Lower House passed a record ¥96.34 trillion draft budget for fiscal 2015 on March 13. Though the budget is now under deliberation in the Upper House, it is unlikely to be enacted before April 1.
Drafting the budget was delayed after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called a snap general Lower House for Dec. 14.