Zhitong Finance APP learnednftplaytoearnfreeMasai Takako, a former member of the Bank of Japan's policy committee, believes that if economic conditions remain roughly unchanged, the Bank of Japan may raise its benchmark interest rate to zero before the end of the year.nftplaytoearnfree.5%。
"It really depends on the real economy, but if economic expectations remain at current levels, I think it's okay to raise interest rates one or two more times and eventually raise interest rates to around 0.5%," Masai said in an interview on Monday.
Masai said inflation expectations for businesses and households have changed due to rising prices over the past two years. "The Bank of Japan wants to make sure everything is normal, but at the same time they also have to deal with the side effect of a weaker yen.""On the bright side, companies have good performance and sufficient capacity to invest for the future."
She said the Bank of Japan needs to strengthen communication on the yen issue and remain vigilant about its possible impact on consumption. Masai served on the Board of Governors of the Bank of Japan for five years until June 2021.
Data released on Friday showed that Japan's inflation cooled for the second consecutive month in April, with consumer prices excluding fresh food rising 2.2%. The indicator exceeded the Bank of Japan's 2% price target for the 25th consecutive month.
Masai said that based on recent communications from the Bank of Japan, including summaries of opinions from recent policy meetings and leadership comments, Japanese authorities appear to be focusing on further steeper the government bond yield curve.
She said it was still difficult to judge the Bank of Japan's precise assessment of the economic impact of a weak yen.
