Biz people: 'Keep rates low to fuel growth'
China Daily | Updated: 2007-01-16 07:39
Japan's economic and fiscal policy minister called on the central bank Monday to hold steady its super-low interest rates to stimulate the economy and decisively beat deflation.
"Japan is facing an extremely critical moment as it is finally getting out of deflation," Hiroko Ota (right) told a news conference, two days before the Bank of Japan begins a keenly awaited two-day policy board meeting.
"Our most important task this year is to put an end to deflation," said Ota, an economics professor who was tapped by new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in September.
"I hope (the Bank of Japan) will support the scenario of the departure from deflation with their monetary policies," she added.
(China Daily 01/16/2007 page16)
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