No.6 Initial Budget for Fiscal Year 2012

(Inagi Newsletter April 15, 2012 issue)

In the Regular Session of the Inagi City Council held in March 2012, the initial budget for the new fiscal year concerning the General Fund and six Special Accounts, including the National Health Insurance Program, was approved and has been in effect since April 1, 2012.
The initial budget for fiscal year 2011 was a skeletal budget excluding policy-related expenses, as the former mayor was scheduled to retire. Therefore, the supplementary budget that I presented at the June 2012 council meeting after my appointment became the effective initial budget. This time, it is a regular budget formulation, but it is my first initial budget, and I have decided to focus on the following four points.
First, maintaining sound finances and promoting the major projects of the Long-Term Comprehensive Plan. Second, supporting recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake and disaster prevention measures in Inagi City. Third, continuing the emergency economic measures that were anticipated for three years until fiscal year 2011. Fourth, reviewing all projects without exception and controlling ongoing expenses.
As a result, the scale of the General Fund for the fiscal year 2012 is 32.4 billion yen. Compared to the June Supplementary Budget after the fiscal year 2011 (actual initial budget), this represents an increase of 1.3%. However, since this budget includes approximately 2.2 billion yen for the land purchase of the (tentative name) Minamiyama Elementary School, excluding that special factor, there is a decrease of 5.6%.
Due to the impact of emergency economic measures and increased social security costs after the Lehman Shock, the budget scale has been expanding year by year, but in the future, we will pay more attention to fiscal discipline than ever before.
The focus of this budget is on the preparation costs for the introduction of a new public accounting system. In order to build a sustainable and resilient financial foundation for the future, it is necessary to develop financial documents based on the principles of accrual accounting and double-entry bookkeeping adopted by private enterprises, and to share a cost-conscious mindset.
In addition, we have also focused on the health plaza. The long-awaited warm water pool and health promotion facilities for the citizens will finally open on May 28, 2012. We hope many customers will use them, and together we can create a healthy town filled with smiles.