TOKYO: The Japanese government is discussing plans to hand out 100,000 yen each to all people listed on the basic resident resister, including foreign residents, as part of its economic stimulus measures against the new coronavirus outbreak, informed sources said Saturday.

The government is working out details of the benefit plan by referring to a cash handout program introduced in 2009 amid the global financial crisis triggered by the September 2008 collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers, according to the sources.

Under the 2009 program, the government paid 12,000 yen each to citizens listed on the basic resident resister or the alien registration records at the time. The amount of benefits was raised to 20,000 yen for people aged up to 18 and those aged 65 or older.

Foreign residents who meet certain conditions will likely be eligible to receive the 100,000-yen handout as the government started recording such foreigners on the basic resident resister in July 2012.

Under the 2009 program, people were asked to provide bank account information in application forms sent by local governments and submit them to their offices or mail them.

Due to the virus outbreak, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has indicated that applications will be accepted online or via mail this time.

According to the basic resident register data as of Jan. 1, 2019, Japan's population totaled 127,443,563. Of them, 2,667,199 were foreigners.

JIJI Press