Gov't completes budget assignment for Q1

SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Yonhap) -- The government said Thursday it has completed its
budget assignment for the first quarter of this year and is front-loading state
spending to help bolster the slumping economy.
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said that it has assigned a total of 108.8
trillion won (US$80.87 billion) for the January-March period, which accounts for
43.9 percent of the nation's 283-trillion won annual budget.
The percentage is higher than what was allotted for the same period last year, to
which 38 percent of the annual budget was assigned, the ministry said.
The government is pushing to front-load fiscal spending this year as part of an
effort to kick-start the economy, which is slowing at a faster-than-expected pace
amid weakening domestic demand and dwindling exports.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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