The Bank of Japan said March 13 it will leave its ultra-easy monetary policy and the 0.5 percent official discount rate unchanged.
The unanimous decision was made at a four-hour Monetary Policy Meeting with all six Policy Board members present, the BOJ said. Gov. Yasuo Matsushita attended the meeting only briefly because he was facing questions at a House of Representatives Budget Committee.
The bank has repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping interest rates low for a while to help revive the economy as a whole. A summary of the meeting -- including a synopsis of issues discussed as well as the names of supporters and opponents to policy changes -- will be released April 14. The next meeting is scheduled for March 26.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.