JAPAN

More Aid to Poor Countries: Japan paid out $11.15 billion in 1992 for official development assistance, making it one of the biggest donors in the world, the government said. Only the United States could have surpassed Japan’s aid disbursement to poor countries in that year, officials said. Data for other rich nations will be issued late this month. Japan increased its development aid disbursements, excluding aid to Eastern Europe, by 1.8% in 1992 from $10.95 billion in 1991, when it was the largest donor. That compares to a rise of 20.8% in 1991, when major economic powers shared a huge bill for the U.S.-led war to oust Iraq from Kuwait.