A series of mistakes were found in budget-related documents submitted by the government to the current Diet session. According to the government, this was the result of typographical errors and insufficient checks. The government needs to thoroughly analyze the factors behind these numerous mistakes.
The errors were found in reference materials attached to the government's fiscal 2022 budget plan. The materials were compiled separately by the four ministries of internal affairs and communications; justice; education, culture, sports, science and technology; and land, infrastructure, transport and tourism. In supplementary materials known as a "detailed list of expenditure items," there were mistakes in the amounts of different budget items and in the number of officials eligible for an employee allowance, among others.
Although the government said the mistakes would not affect the budget compilation itself, which must be approved by the Diet, the supplementary materials are a prerequisite for Diet deliberations. It is only natural that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and some of his Cabinet members apologized for the issue.
