Japan's government plans an initial budget of a record 97.45 trillion yen for fiscal 2017, while keeping new debt issuance just below this year's level, a draft of the budget said. The planned spending poses a challenge to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to streamline outlays and proceed with fiscal consolidation. As per the draft document, the general-account budget spending for the next fiscal year from April marks an increase from this year's 96.7 trillion yen.