TOKYO, Feb 1: The Japanese government will help finance production of cellular phones and pocket pagers un-j der an economic stimulus package due to be adopted this week, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported Monday, reports AFP.

Cellular phone and pocket, pager makers can borrow up to 40 per cent of funds necessary to build production facilities from the Japan Development Bank at a favourable rate, the newspaper quoted officials of . the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry as saying.

The loan scheme, over five years, will be part of measures to accelerate economic deregulation, one of the main points in the stimulus package reported to total up to 16 trillion yen (145 billion dollar),, the report said.

The cost of building a production line for'mobile phones is estimated at about two billion yen and one for pocket pagers at about one billion yen.

At present, ail cellular phones and pocket pagers are leased by telecommunications companies but a ban on direct sales of these products will be gradually lifted.

Meanwhile, fhe Ministry of International Trade and Industry plans to provide 30 billion yen for the establishment of information centres for the multimedia industry, as another measure in the package. the newspaper said.

The centres at several locations across Japan will create databases containing visual, audio and written information on potential multimedia which combines leading electronics and telecommunications technlogies.