Budget requests for the next fiscal year from Japanese ministries and agencies are now on the table and totaling a record 111 trillion-plus yen (over $1.01 trillion). But no matter how much the budget is increased, it would be meaningless if the money doesn't reach people struggling amid the coronavirus crisis.

       The Japanese government has launched a series of major economic relief packages since last year. But the fact remains that many citizens and businesses are unable to break from hardship. We have seen no improvement on the pressure for hospital beds, either.

       The latest budget requests have many questionable points.

       Firstly, a noticeable amount of the items appears to be no more than opportunistic requests taking advantage of the pandemic. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism requested promotion of infrastructure work, claiming it would "accelerate a post-coronavirus positive economic growth cycle." The content of the land ministry's request, however, is merely conventional public projects including bullet train services and regional road work that have raised questions about cost-effectiveness.

       Secondly, it's bewildering that budget requests for projects to "make the country resilient" including for disaster preventions were made through title-only demand, in which the budget amount requested is unspecified. If the content of or reasoning behind the request is left murky, ineffective public projects disguised as disaster prevention could slip through.

       Among the other resource requests were a series made for digitalization projects, which the Japanese government sees as the pillar of future economic growth. But with no end to infections in sight, what should have priority is support for people's livelihoods and medical care.

       Even more problematic is that drafting of this fiscal year's supplementary budget is moving ahead with its size given priority. Just this week Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told the Liberal Democratic Party to devise a stimulus package to be included in the supplementary budget, and some party members are already demanding a huge 20- to 30-trillion-yen package without specific discussion on the contents. They must be contemplating what they could use to appeal to voters in the upcoming House of Representatives election.

       The government has used the supplementary budget as a loophole to save monetary requests not included in the initial budget demand. It is out of the question if the Suga administration plans to list public projects with meager connections to the coronavirus crisis, and labeling them as part of a growth strategy to go on a spending spree in the latest supplementary budget draft.

       Japan's state and local debt totals 1.2 quadrillion yen (roughly $11 trillion). The burden of future generations only grows heavier.

       From 2022, Japan's baby boomers will start turning 75 or older. Because of these circumstances, record high budget requests were made for social security costs such as medical expenses in fiscal 2022. We are concerned whether the country can survive as a heavily in debt, super-aging society.

       The inclusion of many unnecessary, non-urgent projects in the last fiscal year's budget has meant more than 30 trillion yen remains unspent. The future budget compilation needs a fundamental review. Detailed scrutiny is indispensable, especially under the pandemic.

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