Nippon Ishin to Vote for Japan Govt Budget after Revision

Tokyo, March 18 (Jiji Press)--Opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) plans to vote in favor of the government's fiscal 2025 budget bill once it is revised again, people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The government and the ruling camp plan to submit a revised budget bill to parliament as early as next week. The revision will reflect Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's decision to cancel a planned increase in the ceiling on out-of-pocket spending for high-cost medical care.

At a party meeting on Tuesday, Nippon Ishin co-leader Seiji Maehara welcomed Ishiba's decision and expressed support for a revised budget bill.

With Nippon Ishin's support, the budget bill is likely to pass the House of Councillors, the upper parliamentary chamber, and then the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, where Ishiba's ruling camp does not have a majority.

The budget bill is now being deliberated in the Upper House after the passage earlier this month by the Lower House, where the original bill was revised to reflect Nippon Ishin's proposals.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]