BOJ chief again bangs the drum for monetary easing

Tokyo

THE governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has once again asserted the central bank's determination to ease monetary policy further if external shocks threaten its policy goals, despite a consensus by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that monetary easing is near the end of its effectiveness.

Haruhiko Kuroda told a budgetary committee of the lower house of parliament on Wednesday: "We are prepared to ease policy again, including lowering short-term rates, if we judge that the merits of such an action outweigh the costs."