The government is expected to soon approve a supplementary budget of about 3 trillion yen ($18.8 billion) and submit it to the Diet.

Even if it is meant to protect the daily lives of the public as well as the economy from the extended tensions in the Middle East, we cannot overlook the stance of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to try to quickly pass that budget as if it seeks carte blanche.

The compilation of the supplementary budget is unusual because most of it will be made up of the reserve fund, which the government can utilize at its discretion.

The money will go toward continuing with across-the-board support measures in the form of subsidies for gasoline as well as electricity and gas bills.

The Diet will be called upon to conduct a tough assessment of such issues as how to revise support measures that could end up stimulating demand and for which doubts have been raised about its cost-effectiveness and........

© The Asahi Shimbun