Title : INT94-004 - Japanese Government Science and Type : International Document NSF Org: SBE / INT Date : May 1, 1994 File : int94004 Technology Budget Update Exposure: Public NSF Org: INT Date: 5/4/94 Delete: 11/5//94 Replaces: None The National Science Foundation's offices in Tokyo and in Paris periodically report on developments abroad that are related to the Foundation's mission. These documents present facts for the of NSF program managers and policymakers; they are not statements of NSF policy. NSF Tokyo Report Memorandum #93-14 (STIS Reference: INT94- 001) reported that S&T-related budget requests proposed by various Japanese Government agencies to the Ministry of Finance for JFY 1994 (April 1, 1994 - March 31, 1995) totaled 2,402.2 billion yen, an increase of 6.0% over the previous year's initial budget level. According to information released by the Science and Technology Agency, the Cabinet reduced the total request by 43.7 billion yen before submitting it to the Diet on February 15, 1994. Thus, the current budget proposal for all S&T-related government activity for JFY 1994 amounts to 2,358.5 billion yen (US $22.9 billion at 103 yen per dollar), an increase of 92.2 billion yen or 4.1% over JFY 1993. While the Diet is not expected to pass the budget before May, little change in the proposed amounts is anticipated. The current figure represents the smallest increase in the government's S&T-related budget since 1988, as shown in Table 1. Table 1: Yearly Comparison JFY (In billion yen) % Change ---------------------------------------------------- 1985 1,532.9 3.3% 1986 1,606.4 4.8% 1987 1,662.3 3.5% 1988 1,715.7 3.2% 1989 1,815.6 5.8% 1990 1,919.6 5.7% 1991 2,022.6 5.4% 1992 2,134.7 5.5% 1993 2,266.3 6.2% 1994 (Proposed) 2,358.5 4.1% Table 2 gives the S&T-related budget currently proposed for each government agency and the ratio of each agency's budget to the government's total S&T-related budget for JFY 1994. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (Monbusho) accounts for nearly half (46.7%) of the government's total S&T budget. Following Monbusho are the Science and Technology Agency (STA), with about one-fourth (25.7%) of the total, and the Ministry of Internation- al Trade and Industry (MITI) accounting for approximately one- eighth (12.0%) of the total S&T budget. Table 2: Inter-Agency Comparison by Proposed S&T Budget Amounts (In Million Yen) JFY'94 S&T Ratio to Yearly Ministries and Agencies: Budget Total Change ------------------------------------------------------------ ----- Min.of Education, Sci.& Culture 1,100,356 46.66% 5.2% Science and Technology Agency 605,238 25.66% 4.1% Min. Int'l. Trade & Industry 283,653 12.03% 1.0% Defense Agency 140,788 5.97% 2.6% Min. Agriculture, Forestry & Fish. 82,660 3.50% 2.0% Ministry of Health and Welfare 69,891 2.96% 8.6% Min. of Posts & Telecommunications 34,966 1.48% -0.0% Ministry of Transport 22,932 0.97% -5.3% Environment Agency 13,427 0.57% 6.8% Ministry of Foreign Affairs 9,467 0.40% -0.7% Ministry of Construction 8,055 0.34% 0.6% Ministry of Labor 4,085 0.17% -5.9% Ministry of Finance 2,652 0.11% 72.0% National Police Agency 1,358 0.06% 4.0% Ministry of Justice 1,353 0.06% 18.6% Science Council of Japan 1,201 0.05% 9.6% Economic Planning Agency 986 0.04% 2.1% Ministry of Home Affairs 692 0.03% 5.2% National Diet 549 0.02% 0.4% Hokkaido Development Agency 164 0.01% 3.5% ------------------------------------------------------------ ----- TOTAL: 2,358,474 100.00% 4.1% The budget increases proposed for Monbusho and STA reflect government policies to improve university infrastructure and facilities and to increase support for basic research. Although MITI had requested a 7.5% increase, the current proposal offers only a 1.0% increase over the JFY1993 budget. While large increases are proposed for a few of MITI's initiatives (Real World Computing to increase 38% to 4.986 billion yen; Regional Technology Development to increase 140% to 1.553 billion yen), several of MITI's major programs will either be cut or receive only small increases. NSF/Tokyo:M.MIYAHARA