-
Policy
Policy
Exclusive interviews with leading policymakers that convey the true policy message that impacts markets.
LATEST FROM POLICY: -
EM Policy
EM Policy
Exclusive interviews with leading policymakers that convey the true policy message that impacts markets.
LATEST FROM EM POLICY: -
G10 Markets
G10 Markets
Real-time insight on key fixed income and fx markets.
Launch MNI PodcastsFixed IncomeFI Markets AnalysisCentral Bank PreviewsFI PiFixed Income Technical AnalysisUS$ Credit Supply PipelineGilt Week AheadGlobal IssuanceEurozoneUKUSDeep DiveGlobal Issuance CalendarsEZ/UK Bond Auction CalendarEZ/UK T-bill Auction CalendarUS Treasury Auction CalendarPolitical RiskMNI Political Risk AnalysisMNI Political Risk - US Daily BriefMNI Political Risk - The week AheadElection Previews -
Emerging Markets
Emerging Markets
Real-time insight of emerging markets in CEMEA, Asia and LatAm region
-
Commodities
-
Credit
Credit
Real time insight of credit markets
-
Data
-
Global Macro
Global Macro
Actionable insight on monetary policy, balance sheet and inflation with focus on global issuance. Analysis on key political risk impacting the global markets.
Global MacroDM Central Bank PreviewsDM Central Bank ReviewsEM Central Bank PreviewsEM Central Bank ReviewsBalance Sheet AnalysisData AnalysisEurozone DataUK DataUS DataAPAC DataInflation InsightEmployment InsightGlobal IssuanceEurozoneUKUSDeep DiveGlobal Issuance Calendars EZ/UK Bond Auction Calendar EZ/UK T-bill Auction Calendar US Treasury Auction Calendar Global Macro Weekly -
About Us
To read the full story
Sign up now for free trial access to this content.
Please enter your details below.
Why MNI
MNI is the leading provider
of intelligence and analysis on the Global Fixed Income, Foreign Exchange and Energy markets. We use an innovative combination of real-time analysis, deep fundamental research and journalism to provide unique and actionable insights for traders and investors. Our "All signal, no noise" approach drives an intelligence service that is succinct and timely, which is highly regarded by our time constrained client base.Our Head Office is in London with offices in Chicago, Washington and Beijing, as well as an on the ground presence in other major financial centres across the world.
Real-time Actionable Insight
Get the latest on Central Bank Policy and FX & FI Markets to help inform both your strategic and tactical decision-making.
Free AccessMNI ASIA OPEN: Nov Job Gains, Fed Blackout, CPI/PPI Ahead
MNI UST Issuance Deep Dive: Dec 2024
MNI US Employment Insight: Soft Enough To Keep Fed Cutting
MNI ASIA MARKETS ANALYSIS: Jobs Data Green Lights Rate Cuts
REPEAT: MNI: BOJ Off'l: 2% CPI May Need More Time After FY19
Repeats Story Initially Transmitted at 08:42 GMT Nov 28/03:42 EST Nov 28
By Hiroshi Inoue and Max Sato
TOKYO (MNI) - It may take more time beyond the Bank of Japan's current
timeframe of "around fiscal 2019" before the central bank can anchor inflation
around 2% amid high uncertainties over the pace of productivity gains, price
rises and wage hikes, the BOJ's chief economist told Market News International.
In an exclusive interview with MNI on Monday, Toshitaka Sekine,
director-general of the BOJ's Research and Statistics Department, also said he
is confident about the sustainability of Japan's current modest economic
recovery.
In October, weak price data prompted the BOJ policy board to lower its
projections for consumer prices in fiscal 2017 and 2018, but the BOJ stuck to
its estimate that it could achieve its 2% inflation target "around fiscal 2019"
ending in March 2020. That estimate had been delayed by one year in July, the
sixth delay in the inflation target date since the BOJ began its very
accommodative easing policy in 2013.
Downside risks to prices are high and thus "it may take some more time"
beyond the current target date before the 2% price stability target is achieved,
Sekine said. "We acknowledge that," he said.
Sekine said there hasn't been much change in the BOJ's baseline scenario
for economic activity from the one provided in the bank's semi-annual Outlook
Report released on Oct. 31 as not many new indicators have been released since
then.
Data released on Nov. 15 showed Japan's economy for the July-September
quarter posted a modest 0.3% rise on quarter, or an annualized 1.4%, as a
rebound in net exports offset a slump in consumer spending caused by bad
weather.
The BOJ board expects the moderate economic expansion to continue as demand
from overseas is expected to remain firm while capital investment remains strong
and private consumption resilient.
"We don't think the economy will run out of steam," Sekine said.
Favorable economic developments will continue "for the time being" but the
BOJ is paying close attention to both upside and downside risks to economic
activity, he said.
The BOJ will analyze how the risks to growth and inflation have changed in
making the next set of forecasts for the central bank's next Outlook Report, due
Jan. 23, he added.
Despite the possibility that it will take longer than now expected to reach
the 2% inflation target, Sekine was cautiously optimistic about the consumer
price outlook.
He pointed to slightly brighter signs in consumer price data, which have
shown prices for durable goods and services have been rising gradually.
The recent rise in durable goods prices reflects the pass-through of past
yen depreciation while some companies are hiking prices as they hit the limit
for raising productivity, he explained.
But he added: "We have to acknowledge that there is a high uncertainty as
to how much the recent price rise will accelerate."
Lack of substantial wage growth remains the biggest stumbling block to an
acceleration of prices, Sekine indicated.
But he also pointed out that real compensation per employee rose 1.6% on
year in the July-September quarter, a sign that household income is increasing
and thus should support consumer spending.
This piece of data is stronger than the Monthly Labour Survey, which showed
average wages have been sluggish due to the recent fast pace of increase in
lower-paid part-time workers. Total monthly average cash earnings per regular
employee rose 0.9% on year in September, the second straight year-on-year rise,
but continued to mark a slight drop from a year before after adjustment for
inflation.
"In our analysis, base wages tend to be influenced by past consumer prices
and productivity," Sekine said.
He noted that the core consumer price index (excluding fresh food) rose
0.4% on average from a year earlier in the first nine months of 2017, well above
the average drop of 0.3% for the whole of calendar 2016.
The fact that current prices are higher than those seen last year should
have a positive effect on company's base wage decisions for fiscal 2018, which
will start in April, he said.
"In addition, corporate profits are at record highs. Judging from these
factors, it is conceivable that [the pace of] wage hikes will increase next
year," Sekine said.
At this point, Japan has a negative gap between real wages and
productivity, meaning wage growth is lower than productivity gains. BOJ
officials believe the current weakness in inflation due to the negative real
wage gap is a temporary phenomenon but they do not know precisely how long it
will take to close the gap or how temporary the phenomenon will be.
But there is a limit to what firms can do to make their operations more
efficient. Already, labor shortages are prompting restaurant and retail chains
to offer better working conditions including higher pay to secure necessary,
high-quality workers.
Wages are influenced by productivity, so in the long run, real wage
increases will move in line with labor productivity, Sekine predicted.
Assuming the U.S. is at the forefront of technological progress, experts
see Japan's labor productivity at 60% to 70% of the U.S. level, he said.
Still, there is ample room for Japan to further increase its productivity
even as inflation accelerates, Sekine said. "We don't need to think that prices
in Japan won't rise until Japan's overall productivity catches up with that of
the U.S."
In October the BOJ released a new cost-push indicator in an attempt to
gauge the pressure from corporate costs that have not been passed on to consumer
prices. The index showed upward pressure on consumer prices is increasing.
The BOJ estimates the latest cost-push indicator stood at around 0.4% in
August, which means Japanese consumer prices are expected to rise by 0.4
percentage point in about two to three quarters.
Therefore, the year-on-year increase in the core-core CPI (excluding fresh
food and energy) is expected to pick up from 0.2% in September to 0.7% in six
months, the central bank said. (The figures are all rough estimates.)
While a hopeful sign, it is unclear how the index will evolve in the
future, Sekine said. "I would like to see its performance further."
At some point, the BOJ may need to improve the index and the BOJ hasn't
decided whether to release the index regularly, he said.
Sekine also pointed to what he and other officials hope is the start of a
rise in optimism among the Japanese, given that Japan's economic outlook is
better than many think.
Japan's decades-long economic stagnation, coupled with the changing demands
of its rapidly aging population and fear about external threats, have caused
deep pessimism among the Japanese public, one reason BOJ officials point to in
explaining sustained business and consumer caution on spending.
To help break up this pessimistic thinking and improve the economic
outlook, the government needs to follow through on its promises to implement
structural reforms and the private sector must invest in innovative areas to
raise the economy's growth potential, Sekine said, echoing the sentiment
expressed by many economists.
Still, Japanese attitudes may already be turning the corner, Sekine said.
"Japan is at the stage of regaining confidence gradually," Sekine said.
"The message in the speech by (BOJ) Deputy Governor (Hiroshi) Nakaso is that
Japan's potential is bigger than you might think."
Nakaso said in London on Oct. 5: "Looking back at the policy responses,
although there were successes, I have to admit that there were also shortfalls,
as well as a couple of false dawns. But we have learned some lessons. This time
around, there seem to be more reasons to believe that the true dawn is near."
"When the morning light arrives, we will know that after a long night the
sun also rises, when hopefully we can see more visibly that the Japanese economy
is back on track toward strong, sustainable and balanced growth," Nakaso said.
--MNI Tokyo Bureau; tel: +81 90-2175-0040; email: hiroshi.inoue@marketnews.com
--MNI Tokyo Bureau; tel: +81 90-4670-5309; email: max.sato@marketnews.com
--MNI BEIJING Bureau; +1 202-371-2121; email: john.carter@mni-news.com
To read the full story
Sign up now for free trial access to this content.
Please enter your details below.
Why MNI
MNI is the leading provider
of intelligence and analysis on the Global Fixed Income, Foreign Exchange and Energy markets. We use an innovative combination of real-time analysis, deep fundamental research and journalism to provide unique and actionable insights for traders and investors. Our "All signal, no noise" approach drives an intelligence service that is succinct and timely, which is highly regarded by our time constrained client base.Our Head Office is in London with offices in Chicago, Washington and Beijing, as well as an on the ground presence in other major financial centres across the world.