TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Friday that the government's new economic package, worth 39 trillion yen ($250 billion), aims to shore up wages, calling it an essential step for growth in the broader economy.

Ishiba also told reporters after his Cabinet approved the package that his administration will implement measures to revitalize struggling regional economies, as price hikes driven by the weaker yen have been undermining consumer sentiment.