A senior Bank of Japan official said Sunday the central bank is ready to take additional monetary easing steps should the economy deteriorate further, while economic minister Heizo Takenaka called for the establishment of a clearer inflation target to prevent deflation.
Appearing on the same TV talk show, however, BOJ Executive Director Minoru Masubuchi and Takenaka, state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, differed over the issue of whether the BOJ should adopt an inflation target.
"We will consider our options flexibly when there is a need for additional monetary easing," Masubuchi said in underlining the BOJ's readiness to take additional steps.