Fresh stimulus to have steps to promote quake-resistant homes+

TOKYO, Dec. 3 Kyodo -
A fresh economic stimulus package will likely include measures to help increase
the number of earthquake-resistant homes in Japan, ruling party lawmakers said
Thursday.

To stimulate the housing market, the government is also considering introducing
steps to promote barrier-free facilities, they said.
Key Cabinet members on Thursday exchanged views over the fresh stimulus package
for the current fiscal year through March 31, but they failed to finalize its
scale and other specifics.
The package is expected to entail about 4 trillion yen in fiscal spending, much
more than originally planned. But differences of opinion remained between the
Democratic Party of Japan and its two junior coalition partners, the Social
Democratic Party and the People's New Party.
In addition to the 4 trillion yen, the central government is considering
shouldering possible shortfalls of around 3 trillion yen in tax receipts for
local governments, according to the lawmakers.
But the People's New Party is urging that the size of the package -- to be
financed by the second extra budget for fiscal 2009 -- be even bigger.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's Cabinet members will try to finalize the
specifics of the stimulus package on Friday.
The lawmakers had said the package also includes measures to help facilitate
the purchase of green products and to support the financing of small and
midsize firms.
==Kyodo
2009-12-03 23:13:54