As usual, government organizations will have until the end of August to submit FY 1999 budget requests based on these guidelines. Business analysts are not convinced that the contents of the cabinet's FY 1999 budget guidelines support Mr. Miyazawa's words. First, they say, the pledge of an 11 percent increase in general expenditures is difficult to evaluate because of the 15-month time frame involved. That will allow Tokyo to hold the line on boosting the initial FY 1999 budget. Critics also have attacked the cabinet's math, disputing the figures for public works spending.
Knowledgeable observers are unhappy, too, with the vagueness of the stimulative spending targets.
Even taking into account the new special allocations, the broad brushwork of the guidelines means that the cabinet continues to rely on ministries and agencies to fill in the details. Some analysts have criticized this as being no different from past budget practices, an abdication of leadership duties. Others warn that allowing bureaucrats to draw up the detailed spending plans may reduce the effectiveness of the proposed boost in outlays. Without clear and specific guidance, these critics say, funds may flow to politically connected firms or inefficient projects. On the other side of the fence, some analysts argue that allowing politicians to decide how to allocate the money creates an irresistible invitation to pork-barrel spending.