Chapter I.—General Rules.
Article I.—The financial year of the Government shall commence on the 1st day of the 4th month in each year, and end on the 31st day of the 3rd month of the following year.
All transactions of matters relating to receipt and disbursement of the revenues and expenditures of each financial year, shall be completed on the 31st day of the 11th month of the following financial year.
Article II.—All receipts from taxes and all other resources shall be treated as revenues, and all expenses, as expenditures. Revenues and expenditures shall be embodied in the general budget.
Article III.—Sums appropriated for each financial year shall not be applied to the payment of expenses belonging to another financial year.
Article IV.—No Government Office is allowed to keep special funds other than those provided for by law or ordinance.
Chapter II.—Budget.
Article V.—The general budget of annual revenues and expenditures shall be laid before the Imperial Diet of the previous year at the beginning of its session.
Article VI.—The general budget of annual revenues and expenditures shall be divided into two parts, the ordinary and extraordinary; and each part shall be subdivided into Titles and Paragraphs.
The following documents shall accompany the budget for the information of the Imperial Diet:—
1. Paper stating the amount of the estimated expenses demanded by the respective Departments of State. In this paper every item in each Paragraph shall be explicitly stated.
2. Paper stating the actual accounts of the revenue and expenditure of the financial year, ended on the 31st day the 3rd month of the current year.
Article VII.—The reserves to be provided in the budget shall be divided into the following two classes:—
1st reserve.
2nd reserve.
The first reserve shall be used to supply deficiencies, which are unavoidable in the budget.
The second reserve shall be used to meet necessary expenses unprovided for in the same.
Article VIII.—The account of sums defrayed out of the reserve shall, after the lapse of the financial year, be laid before the Imperial Diet, and its approbation shall be sought.
Article IX.—The maximum amount of the Treasury Bills to be issued during each financial year, shall be determined with the consent of the Imperial Diet.
