Bank of Japan Governor Tells Parliament to Curb Spending and Increase Revenue

The Bank of Japan governor urged the government on Tuesday to take steps on both revenue and spending as public finances are on an unsustainable path.

Haruhiko Kuroda, speaking in parliament, also told lawmakers that a planned increase in sales tax is among the steps needed as Japan struggles to contain its debt burden, which is proportionally the worst among major economies.

Earlier this month, the BOJ agreed to double the government debt it holds to strengthen monetary expansion, but there are concerns the BOJ will end up bankrolling fiscal spending unless the government takes tough steps to reduce the debt burden.

“Public finances in their current state are unsustainable, so the revenue side and the spending side need to be addressed,” Kuroda said in the lower house budget committee.

“I think the sales tax is a part of that.”

Earlier this year, the BOJ and the government issued a joint statement in which the central bank agreed to pursue a 2 percent inflation target to end years of nagging deflation.

via Reuters

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