HIKONE, Shiga Municipal Assembly in Shiga Prefecture approved a revised budget proposal on October 5 to provide 50,000 yen for households that wish to receive it as a measure against high prices.
The town government proposed a supplementary budget for the general account this fiscal year for a different purpose than benefits at a September assembly meeting. The town should provide 50,000 yen to households wishing to receive the benefit at its own discretion, instead of restricting it to low-income households, as specified by the national government, according to seven assembly members who proposed an amendment to add 55 million yen about $380,000 to the project cost.
The proposal was passed with a majority of votes in favor, but Mayor Kikuo Nose requested that the assembly carry out its deliberations once more, claiming that the town's finances are strained and the proposal could be criticized as pork-barreling. More than two-thirds of the members present in the session voted for the revised proposal, which was enough to pass it, according to an extraordinary session on October 5.
As a measure against high prices, the Japanese government decided to give 50,000 yen for households exempt from resident taxes on September 9.