Japan’s prime minister on Monday told his government to prepare a record Y10,000bn ($99bn, £67bn, €74bn) fiscal stimulus to lift the world’s second-biggest economy from its deepening gloom.

Taro Aso said the stimulus must focus on healthcare and medical services, subsidies to local governments, a new social safety net for non-regular workers, more use of government financial institutions to ease the credit crunch, and solar energy.