Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Wednesday formally instructed his Cabinet ministers in charge of the economy to compile a comprehensive package of antideflation measures, following the launch Tuesday of such discussions by a key government policy panel.
Koizumi gave the ministers until the end of the month to come up with the outline of the package, which will include accelerating bad-loan writeoffs by banks.
The order was to be given at an evening gathering at the Prime Minister's Official Residence attended by Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa, economic and fiscal policy minister Heizo Takenaka, Financial Services Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma.