The Bank of Japan may extend its emergency credit programs into 2010 should funding conditions fail to improve, minutes from last month's Policy Board meeting show.

The central bank extended the steps for three months until Dec. 31 at the July 14-15 gathering because some companies were still struggling to obtain credit, according to the minutes released Friday in Tokyo.

"Another extension might become necessary if the bank's judgment was that the situation had not improved sufficiently," members said in a statement.