TOKYO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Japanese finance minister
Shunichi Suzuki on Tuesday said it is not yet time to debate a
possible review of a joint statement the government and Bank of
Japan (BOJ) issued in 2013 calling for the achievement of 2%
inflation as quickly as possible.
Sources previously told Reuters that the government would
consider revising the statement after a new BOJ governor is
appointed in April, in a move market watchers expect to increase
the chance of a tweak to incumbent Haruhiko Kuroda's ultra-loose
monetary policy. After a decade of aggressive monetary stimulus, Japan
continues to seek sustainable and stable inflation of 2% that
accompanies wage growth. At present, the surging cost of living
has driven the inflation rate to 41-year-high of 4%.
"The government and the BOJ are fully aware of the
importance of wage growth," Suzuki told reporters.
When asked about the need to review the joint statement,
Suzuki said: "It's too early to comment at the moment when the
new BOJ governor is yet to be decided."
(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Christopher
Cushing)
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