Abe Plans Blanket 100,000 - Yen Cash Handout
Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says he plans to provide a blanket cash handout of 100,000 yen, or about 930 dollars, per person as part of economic measures to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
Abe conveyed his plan to the head of junior coalition partner Komeito, Yamaguchi Natsuo, over the phone on Thursday. Abe said he intends to alter the government's supplementary budget proposal for fiscal 2020 to secure the necessary funding.
In phone talks earlier in the day, Yamaguchi asked Abe to offer a blanket cash handout of 100,000 yen regardless of income level. Yamaguchi said this should replace the government's plan to hand out 300,000 yen to households that have lost income due to the outbreak.
Abe told him he would consider the proposal. Abe later met senior officials of the main governing Liberal Democratic Party and told them he plans to alter the supplementary budget bill for the 100,000-yen handout.
The prime minister asked them to proceed with the necessary preparations within the party.
Abe's Cabinet had been expected to submit the supplementary budget bill to the Diet next Monday, but the move may now be delayed.
