BOJ ‘very likely’ to hike rates if inflation keeps rising

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Friday the central bank “very likely” will raise interest rates if underlying inflation continues to go up, and begin reducing its huge bond buying at some point in the future.

The central bank must maintain loose monetary policy for the time being as underlying inflation remains “somewhat below” its 2% target, and long-term inflation expectations are still near 1.5%, Ueda said. Having ended its unconventional monetary easing measures in March, however, the BOJ has brought more flexibility to its policy and may change its short-term interest rate target depending on how upcoming data unfold, he added.

“We will proceed cautiously, initially assessing the impact of our recent policy changes on the economy and inflation, then considering further adjustment, perhaps extracting insights on the neutral rate along the way,” Ueda said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2024.

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