Bank of Japan Is Said to Mull Loan Program After Earthquake

The Bank of Japan is considering offering temporary loans to banks to aid companies with cash-flow shortages in the wake of the record March 11 earthquake, three people familiar with the matter said.

The plan may be presented to the central bank’s board as early as this month, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions weren’t public. BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa and his colleagues are scheduled to meet on April 6-7 and on April 28.