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[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, discussion was held on the FY2017 budget and the FY2016 third supplementary budget.

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“Today we have compiled next fiscal year’s budget and this fiscal year’s supplementary budget. I would like to once again express my thanks for the cooperation of everyone in the ruling parties.

In next fiscal year’s budget, we will improve the working conditions of nursery school teachers in order to realize a society in which all citizens are dynamically engaged. By improving this by 2%, the Abe administration will have achieved a cumulative improvement of 10%.

Furthermore, we have newly established a fund-type scholarship system. We will secure a budget for this from next year.

Moreover, by prioritizing growth fields such as science and technology, and tourism, we are advancing measures toward achieving a GDP of 600 trillion yen. At the same time, we are advancing reform to improve the sustainability of social security systems.

In regard to the increase in general expenditure, we will keep this increase under control, as planned, for two successive years. We will also reduce the amount of government bonds issued to less than that of the previous fiscal year. As a result, we will have reduced this for five years in succession since the inauguration of the Abe Cabinet.

In these ways, next fiscal year’s budget will also be a budget that achieves both economic revitalization and fiscal soundness.

This fiscal year’s supplementary budget will also address additional fiscal demands, such as responding to damage caused by typhoons and intensive rains, and ensuring the stable operational structure of the Self Defense Forces.

In the first Diet session of the new year, we intend to enact both this fiscal year’s supplementary budget and next fiscal year’s budget as quickly as possible, so that people throughout Japan can experience the economic recovery for themselves.

I would like to request the continued cooperation of everyone in the ruling parties. Thank you.”