The total amount of general-account budget requests by Japanese ministries and agencies for fiscal 2022 has hit a record of over 111 trillion yen ($1 trillion) as debt-servicing costs are expected to balloon amid the coronavirus pandemic, a Kyodo News tally found Tuesday.The calculated figure for the year starting in April topped 110 trillion yen for the first time and 100 trillion yen for the eighth year in a row, also pushed up by record-high social security spending on the back of the nation's rapidly graying population and rising defense costs to meet security challenges posed by China.…READ FULL ARTICLE
