BOJ’s Masu Says Rate Hike Desirable at ‘Earliest Stage Possible’

A Bank of Japan board member called for interest rates to be increased as soon as possible provided there is no indication of the economy running into trouble, citing more enduring inflationary risks from the war in Iran.

“If statistical data do not indicate clear signs of an economic downturn, I believe it is desirable to raise the policy rate at the earliest stage possible,” Kazuyuki Masu said Thursday at a local business conference in Kagoshima, western Japan.