Japan Considers Funding Birthrate Policy through Government Bonds

A prominent deputy from the ruling party in the Japanese parliament stated on Sunday that the country’s efforts to address the problem of declining birth rates by doubling the budget allocated to child-related policies could be financed through government bond issuance.

In statements broadcast on a Tokyo television station, Hiroshige Seko, a deputy from the Democratic Liberal Party, clarified the government’s policy of taking unprecedented steps to address Japan’s declining birth rate.

He expressed that he fully believed covering it with government bonds would be an acceptable option.

Currently serving as the Secretary General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the Senate, Seiko stated that a discussion is necessary on whether policies should be funded through government bonds, taxes, insurance plans or a variety of different resources.

He further added that funding through government bonds must be permitted.

According to official data, the number of births in Japan has decreased to a new record low of less than 800,000 during the previous year.

In January, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to address the issue of declining birth rates in the country by adopting plans to double the budget allocated for child-related policies by June.