As the Japanese economy continues to be battered by inflation and a weakening yen, the government has announced an economic package worth 39 trillion yen (almost $270 billion) in an attempt to prop it up.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the package will include a mix of local and central government spending, which will be “aimed at overcoming rising prices and reviving the economy… to protect people’s livelihoods and businesses.”

The government is also planning to lower utility bills, aiming to help the average household save $6 per month on gas and $19 per month on electricity, according to a report in Kyodo news.

The Japanese economy has been racked with inflation, as prices rose at the sharpest rate in four decades. Core inflation in Tokyo, the leading indicator of national figures, was up 3.4% in October from a year prior, according to official data. Experts attribute the rise to a myriad of causes, including higher energy costs, increases in the costs of raw materials and food, as well as the economic disruptions produced by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The Bank of Japan has eschewed the traditional actions of central banks during periods of inflation, maintaining interest rates low in the hopes of stimulating economic activity. As of Friday, the short term interest rate was being held at -0.1%

As a result the Japanese yen has been falling against other currencies, hitting its weakest level against the dollar since August of 1990. This year alone it has lost over a fifth of its value vs the dollar.