The International Monetary Fund gave a thumbs-up Wednesday to plans by new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to maintain the thrust of his predecessor's Abenomics stimulus programs, while pushing through reforms to revitalize the economy.
Odd Per Brekk, deputy director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific department, also urged the Bank of Japan to consider reviewing its 2% inflation target to make it more flexible — repeating a recommendation made earlier this year.
"Such a review would provide the BOJ with an opportunity both to reconfirm its commitment to the target and to increase policy flexibility as needed," he said in a written interview.