local public bodies that the 'Special Fiscal Measures Act for Urgent Improvement Projects for Earthquake Countermeasures in Areas under Intensified Measures against Earthquake Disaster" was proposed by members of the Diet and enacted during the 91st session of the Diet in May 1980. Though the Act had initially been enacted to be effective until March, 1985, the Act has been amended three times (March 30, 1985, March 31, 1990 and March 23, 1995) to keep it effective until March 31, 2000.

B Outline of the Act

The Act raised the proportion of the National Government's share of the total cost and raised the grant rate for such improvements carried out by the local public bodies as improvements to fire defense facilities, reconstruction of welfare facilities built of wood, and reinforcement of structurally dangerous wooden buildings used as public elementary schools and junior high schools. In addition, half of the debt repayment for the local bond issued to finance those improvements is included in the standard fiscal demand when calculating the Local Grant Tax.

In accordance with the Act, the Plans for the Urgent Improvement Projects for Earthquake Countermeasures of six prefectures (Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Gifu and Aichi) were approved by the Prime Minister in December 1980. After having been amended three times in March and August 1982, and June 1983, the plans were amended for the fourth time in July 1985 in order to extend the duration of the Act, for the fifth time in August 1990 for re-extension, and for the sixth time in March 1996 for the third extension of the Act. The total expenditure spent on the project has been 165.2 billion yen, 76.8 billion yen of which has been for fire-defence facilities, and 16.2 billion yen of which has been for telecommunication facilities.

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