Balancing Fiscal Pressure With Public Input

[etfs]

Japan is trying something rare in bureaucratic reform: crowdsourcing public opinion.
Finance Minister Katayama says the government will launch a system this year for citizens to comment on which subsidies should be reviewed or cut.
With inflation, budget strain, and a potential hit from removing provisional taxes, policymakers need new revenue strategies.
The DOGE initiative aims to bring transparency and rational decision-making to spending cuts—while maintaining public trust during tough fiscal adjustments.