By Leika Kihara
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday it was desirable for currency rates to move stably, when asked in a television programme about the yen’s recent decline to around 150 against the U.S. dollar.
He also said it was important for the government and the central bank to work closely together to achieve wage growth and stable prices.
“While it’s up to the Bank of Japan to decide on specific monetary policy means, the government and the central bank have always communicated closely in pursuing policies,” Kishida said.
“We’ve agreed to each strive towards achieving economic growth accompanied by structural wage increases and stable inflation. It’s important for the government and the BOJ to continue working closely together,” he said.
The government will take steps to pull Japan permanently out of deflation, Kishida said. “I expect the BOJ to guide monetary policy appropriately based on this understanding,” he added.
(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Mark Potter)
