Japan will spend about 1.65 billion yen ($12 million) on the state funeral planned for former prime minister Shinzo Abe, according to the government's new estimate that includes security and reception costs.
The government in late August approved a more modest budget of 250 million yen for the funeral but then faced criticism for what was deemed an unrealistic figure that excluded hefty outlays for the security and hosting of VIPs.
The government is now estimating the security fee for the funeral will reach about 800 million yen, while hosting foreign delegations will cost about 600 million yen, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno announced. "If we were to give a simplified estimate, I guess the total would be close to what you said," he said in response to a question asking whether the total of the state funeral would be about 1.7 billion yen. - Reuters
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