Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government is set to approve a record economic stimulus package worth 55.7 trillion yen (S$662 billion), reports said yesterday, as the country prepares for a possible sixth wave of Covid-19 infections.
The measure, which may be approved as soon as today, includes spending to beef up the response to Covid-19.
The overall cost of the package, including private-sector funding, will come up to 78.9 trillion yen.
Some 500 billion yen will be allocated to measures like vaccine development, while front-line medical workers, nurses, nursery and kindergarten teachers as well as welfare workers can expect a pay rise of up to 12,000 yen a month.
Mr Kishida will also spend more to increase hospital bed numbers, expand the availability of polymerase chain reaction tests and ensure the smooth delivery of vaccines and booster shots, which are free to all residents in Japan.
This story is from the November 19, 2021 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the November 19, 2021 edition of The Straits Times.
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