On the 29th, it was announced that the deadline for subsidies to support soaring utility costs at childcare facilities and medical institutions as a measure against high prices will be extended until the end of March next year. Previously, national grants were used, but going forward, the metropolitan government will allocate approximately 23.2 billion yen in project costs as its own initiative.
The subsidies target operators with high public interest and limited ability to pass on costs, such as childcare centers and facilities for people with disabilities. Support for rising food and utility costs began in January of this year and was initially set to expire at the end of June. Given the further increase in fuel costs due to the worsening situation in the Middle East, the metropolitan government decided to continue the support independently.
Additionally, approximately 10.9 billion yen in project costs was included to establish a new system that provides up to 20 million yen in subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises when they introduce equipment or systems that reduce raw material costs, such as automatic weighing machines.
Furthermore, in response to the shortage of naphtha, a raw material for plastic packaging, a policy was announced to support businesses developing materials using alternative raw materials to naphtha, with up to 300 million yen over a maximum of three years.
The metropolitan government will submit a supplementary budget proposal totaling 54.2 billion yen, containing these measures, in June.
