政府、予備費倍増を決定　来年度予算案、異例の変更―能登地震

　政府は１６日の臨時閣議で、昨年末に決めた２０２４年度予算案の変更を決定した。能登半島地震の復旧・復興費用に充てるため、自然災害など不測の事態に備える一般予備費を５０００億円から１兆円に倍増。一般会計総額は１１２兆５７１７億円に増えた。政府は予算案を２６日召集の通常国会に提出し、３月末までの成立を目指す。
　政府がいったん決めた予算案を短期間で変更するのは異例。直近では、１９年度予算案の閣議決定後に厚生労働省の統計不正が発覚し、雇用保険の追加給付分を増額した。（2024/01/16-18:48）

The Japanese government adopted a revised fiscal 2024 draft budget Tuesday to double contingency reserves to 1 trillion yen, following the Jan. 1 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula.
   It is unusual for the government to modify a draft budget soon after it is adopted. The new draft will be submitted to the ordinary parliamentary session set to begin on Jan. 26 so that it will be enacted by the March 31 end of fiscal 2023.
   Contingency reserves are a pool of funds in a state budget whose use is not specified. The money is used to deal with unexpected events such as natural disasters and economic crises.
   The reserves for the next fiscal year starting in April will double from the 500 billion yen envisioned in the previous draft budget, adopted late last month.
   The increase will push up the overall general-account spending to 112,571.7 billion yen, still down from the record high of 114,381.2 billion yen under the fiscal 2023 initial budget.