TOKYO, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan's parliament on Tuesday enacted a 13.9 trillion yen (about 90 billion U.S. dollars) supplementary budget for the current fiscal year through next March to fund a new economic package aimed at easing the financial burden on households amid rising prices.
The budget plan cleared the House of Councillors, or upper chamber, ahead of the end of the current extraordinary Diet session on Saturday, following its passage through the House of Representatives last week with the backing of some opposition parties.
With the supplementary budget, the government will implement a comprehensive stimulus package worth 39 trillion yen featuring subsidies to curb rising energy costs and one-off cash handouts to low-income households.
The Ishiba administration intends to fund about half of the extra budget, or 6.7 trillion yen, through new government bond issuance, fueling fears that Japan's fiscal health, already the worst among major advanced economies, could deteriorate further, local media said. (1 U.S. dollar equals 153 yen) ■