">Forum Views ()
">Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Japan's leader unveils ambitious growth plan
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Japan's leader unveils ambitious growth plan
By TOMOKO A. HOSAKA,Associated Press Writer AP - Friday, April 10
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso unveiled an ambitious long-term growth strategy Thursday, vowing to refashion the world's second-largest economy and create millions of jobs, with the first step a massive new stimulus package.
Aso aims to boost domestic demand by at least 40 trillion yen ($400 billion) within three years and add between 1.4 million and 2 million new jobs. By 2020, he wants to lift gross domestic product by 120 trillion yen ($1.2 trillion) and create 4 million jobs.
His plan for the country, now mired in its deepest recession since World War II, calls for Japan to lead the world in energy efficient living and technologies, to expand nursing care and medical services, and to better deploy the global power of Japanese pop culture.
Japan must reinvent its export-driven growth model, which is now an unrealistic option, the prime minister said.
"I want to show that Japan's future is not all that dark if we follow this vision," Aso told reporters. "If you just read the newspapers, it seems like tomorrow will be completely gloomy. But this is not the case. There is some light."
A new stimulus package on its way for government approval Friday represents the first step, Aso said.
Japan's ruling party is pushing for a package that is substantially bigger than originally announced, involving 15.4 trillion yen ($154 billion) in new fiscal spending to wrest the economy from the debilitating recession brought on by the global financial crisis.
The measures, equivalent to about 3 percent of the country's gross domestic product, were approved by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's executive council, a party official said Thursday on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.
The news sparked a stock market rally Thursday and sent the benchmark Nikkei 225 index soaring 3.7 percent to its highest closing level in three months.
The spending figure represents a 50 percent jump from the $99 billion package that Prime Minister Taro Aso had ordered up on Monday.
The prime minister wanted new government spending to exceed 2 percent of GDP given "the extent of the fall in Japanese economic output recently, which is larger than other advanced economies, and also given the need for international cooperation to revive the world economy," said Aso spokesman Osamu Sakashita on Wednesday.
Since taking office in September, Aso has repeatedly said that restoring Japan's economy is the top priority of his government. The country, meanwhile, has fallen deeper into recession amid an unprecedented collapse in global demand for its cars and gadgets.
The new package will help contract workers and small businesses, boost regional economies, expand "green" technologies and support elderly care, said Yasunaga Matsuki, a spokesman at the Ministry of Finance, earlier this week.
Part of the deal may include an incentive to encourage car purchases similar to the "cash for clunkers" program debated in U.S. Congress. Japan, home for several major automakers, is considering giving 250,000 yen ($2,490) to consumers who trade in a car 13 years or older for a more fuel-efficient car.
The total size of the extra budget will likely top 56 trillion yen, which will include other measures such as tax cuts and credit guarantees for businesses, Kyodo said.
Lawmakers last month passed a record 88.5 trillion yen budget for the fiscal year that started April 1, which included parts of Aso's two previous stimulus packages.
Officials have declined to comment on where they would find extra money, though Aso said recently that he would turn to issuing bonds if needed. Japan's massive public debt now runs at 170 percent of GDP _ the highest level among industrialized economies.
Local media said lawmakers will likely tap into special reserve funds as well as issue new bonds.
____
Associated Press Writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
0 users recommend
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Financial Crisis
Unum CEO sees 16 percent cut in 2008 compensationAP - Friday, April 10
Taiwan unveils $900m tourism packageAFP - Friday, April 10
European investors await Bank of EnglandAP - Friday, April 10
FACTBOX-Japan plans new economic stimulus of 15.4 trln yenReuters - Thursday, April 9
Related Articles: Business
Ad resembling story appears on front of LA TimesAP - Friday, April 10
Wells Fargo earnings surprise sends market higherAP - Friday, April 10
Fla. attorney general sues maker of Vick chew toyAP - Friday, April 10
A look at economic developments around the globeAP - Friday, April 10
Fitch may cut largest Japanese banks' credit ratingsReuters - Friday, April 10
Related Full Coverage
Financial fallout
Latest news on global credit crunch.
All Full Coverage
Most Popular – Business
Viewed
Harry Potter actor arrested over cannabis find
'Dracula bandit' gets 20-yr jail sentence
Study points to calorie-burning fat
Journalists get shock with 'sexy' White House call
Israeli Jews hold rare prayer to bless the sun
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Friday, 10 April 2009 US-led operation kills Afghan mother, children
Iran declares new progress in nuclear drive
| International
|
Somali pirates keep American hostage on lifeboat
| International
|
Jan Fischer named new Czech prime minister
UK's top anti-terrorism officer quits over blunder
| International
|
Ex-CIA operative tied to Cuba bombings: jury
| International
|
Italy prepares state funeral for quake dead
Aftershocks impede Italian earthquake teams
| International
|
British police chief quits over terror blunder
Georgia street protesters urge Saakashvili to quit
| International
|
President poised for third term as Algeria votes
| International
|
Moldovan PM warns of new riots, casualties
| International
|
North Korea parliament renews Kim's leadership
| International
|
Indonesian polls open after Papua violence kills 6
| International
|
Analysis: Climate talks to move to smaller forum
FBI hostage team joins standoff with pirates
French Internet piracy law defeated in parliament
| Technology
|
Nintendo Wii in doldrums in Japan, plans fight-back
| Technology
|
ESPN to launch Chicago sports site
| Technology
|
Thai protesters threaten Asian summit
Thai PM calls public holiday to cope with protests
Yahoo's plan: create community from isolated sites
| Technology
|
US planes, warship watching over pirated vessel
N.Korea's Kim at first state event since illness
Microsoft mobile photo service easier than Nokia's
| Technology
|
N.Korea's Kim present at parliament session: KCNA
US court okays Noriega extradition to France
Suicide bomber kills 5, wounds 17 in Afghanistan
FCC opens effort to boost broadband to nation
| Technology
|
Court declares Fiji's military government illegal
Malaysia sentences 2 police in Mongolian murder
Cleric action imperils Pakistan peace deal
China executes two for pre-Olympics attack in Xinjiang
China orders finance executives to cut pay
Pakistan's forex reserves rise to $11.17 bln
Just a Minute With: Miley Cyrus on Hannah Montana
| Entertainment
|
Idol down to seven after MacIntyre elimination
| Entertainment
|
China auto sales hit record 1.11 million in March
Q&A: Rogen enjoys making people squirm in Observe
| Entertainment
|
WRAPUP 1-S.Korea rates seen at bottom as turnaround sighted
Polls close in Indonesia's parliamentary elections
Gospel singer David Pop Winans dies
| Entertainment
|
Japan's leader unveils ambitious growth plan
Simpsons postage stamps ready
| Entertainment
|
President's party wins Indonesia vote: institute
World's cheapest car goes on sale in India
Keith Urban tops U.S. pop chart
| Entertainment
|
Micron drops plan to join Taiwan chip company
Brittany Murphy cast in Expendables
| Entertainment
|
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui bank sees $3.9 bln loss
Penn resurfaces in White House after suicide
| Entertainment
|
Oil higher in Asian trade
Nightmare remake finds its new Freddy Krueger
| Entertainment
|
Marley & Me top dog on DVD charts
| Entertainment
|
Simpsons postage stamps ready
Scott MacIntyre is voted off 'American Idol'
Britain's Proms go Bollywood
Spears' Vancouver concert halted for 30 minutes
Mayor: Madonna promises $500,000 for quake relief
Lunch with Jon Hamm is up for auction
On the Net: College too expensive? Try YouTube
Rascal Flatts adds dimensions to music with age
Oasis to front Paris rock fest
No bail for Australian accused of stalking singer
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights