Ishiba Cautious about BOJ Rate Hikes

   Tokyo, Sept. 29 (Jiji Press)--Shigeru Ishiba, new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, expressed a cautious view about interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan, when he appeared in a television program on Sunday.
   "The direction of monetary easing must be maintained," Ishiba said. "With no assurances that we have overcome deflation, we should not be talking about what to do with interest rates."
   Also on the program aired by Fuji Television Network Inc., Ishiba said a shift from savings to investments "must never be stopped."
   With regard to economic measures, he stated, "When private demand is low, the economy cannot hold up unless fiscal stimulus is mobilized."
   As for national security policy, Ishiba reiterated that a training base for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces should be built in the United States. "If that were possible, it would naturally require a revision of the Japan-U.S. status of forces agreement. If we don't go one step further, the Japan-U.S. alliance will not become stronger," he said.

(2024/09/29-12:36)

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