After some drama and confusion, including a screening unit's slashing of budgetary requests before public eyes and tough demands by Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, the Hatoyama administration has compiled the fiscal 2010 budget, its first budget since its inauguration in mid-September.
Harsh financial conditions have prevented the administration from keeping all the promises that the DPJ made during its campaign last summer. But the administration has succeeded, to some extent, in realizing the party's slogan of "shifting weight to people from concrete" and its aim of providing more funds for households, rather than for industry-linked organizations and large-scale public works projects.
The budget includes the monthly child allowance of ¥13,000 per child (no income cap on household eligibility), funds to make high schools tuition free, an increase of 300 in the quota of teachers at public primary and middle schools — the first increase in seven years — and a slight increase of 0.19 percent in remuneration for medical institutions — the first increase in 10 years.