The head of Suntory Holdings, Takeshi Niinami, said on Tuesday he expected the next governor of the Bank of Japan to show a clear policy roadmap, including criteria for ending its practice of controlling both long- and short-term interest rates.

Niinami, an influential leader who is expected to become the next chairman of the Keizai Doyukai business lobby in April, also said he wanted to keep lifting wages for Suntory employees while the cost of living kept rising — not just to support their living standards but also to activate economic growth led by the private sector.

With the end of the term of current BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda coming up in April, Japanese business managers and investors are focused on the course of monetary policy to be adopted by his successor.