Negative interest rate policy is unlikely to hurt banks' business conditions and deteriorate the economy, and the central bank should take additional easing measures when needed without hesitation, Bank of Japan policymaker Yutaka Harada said Wednesday.
"It is unlikely that in the current situation the negative interest rate policy would affect financial institutions' business conditions and deteriorate the economy as a whole," Harada said in a speech to business leaders in Nagano.
Harada said the opposition to the negative interest rate policy is because low
interest rates cause the flattening of the yield curve, thereby affecting financial institutions'profits.
"However, what is important in conducting monetary policy is how financial institutions' business conditions affect the economy as a whole," the rate-setter said.
"Currently, the positive effects of this monetary policy on the economy as a whole seem to outweigh the negative ones."
The Japanese economy will likely recover from the past stagnation under the currency monetary policy as deflation was partly caused by economic stagnation, the policymaker said.
"Japan's economy can proceed steadily toward achieving the price stability target of 2 percent," Harada said.
"If a situation arises in which it becomes difficult to achieve the target -- for example, a significant change in the state of the global economy -- I think that the Bank should take additional easing measures without hesitation."
The policymaker also said that Japan remains far from reaching a limit to monetary
easing policy.
The BoJ is set to announce its next monetary policy decision on November 1.
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