日本希望製造出2%通漲

Last month the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

経済財政諮問会議:日銀に２％の物価目標を設定求める

毎日新聞　2013年01月09日　20時07分（最終更新　01月10日　00時50分）

政府は９日、経済政策の司令塔となる経済財政諮問会議（議長・安倍晋三首相）を３年半ぶりに再開した。安倍首相は「日銀には、（自民党が）衆院選で訴えてきたことを十分に踏まえて金融政策をお願いしたい」と述べ、デフレ脱却に向け２％の物価目標を設定することなどをあらためて求めた。

　首相は、中長期的な財政運営の方向性を示す「骨太の方針」を６月をめどに策定するよう指示。財政運営に関しては「経済再生と持続可能な財政の双方を実現する道筋を議論してほしい」と述べ、財政規律の維持にも配慮する姿勢を示した。

　日銀は２１〜２２日に開く次回の金融政策決定会合で、首相が求める２％の物価上昇目標について検討する。諮問会議には白川方明日銀総裁も参加しており、首相は会議で「日銀総裁とこの場で議論するのは極めて重要。日銀との連携を強化する仕組みを検討していく」と述べ、物価目標を共有する共同文書のとりまとめを加速させる考えを示した。会議には、新たに任命された小林喜光三菱ケミカルホールディングス社長ら４人の民間メンバーも出席した。諮問会議は、小泉内閣で重要経済政策の中心的な役割を果たしたが、民主党政権の発足で休眠状態だった。

(試譯文)

On the 9^th (January), for the first time in three years and a half, the government resumed the Council on Economy and Fiscal Policy (with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the chairperson) which served as a decision maker of the economic policy. Prime Minister Abe said, "I would like to ask the Bank of Japan to make a financial policy that is fully based on what the Liberal Democratic Party has appealed for at the Lower House", and urged anew to set up a 2% consumer price target in order to break away from the deflation etc.

The prime minister directed that all works must be completed by around June in formulating "a structurally solid plan" which showed the direction for the mid- and long-term fiscal management. About fiscal management, he stated that "I want to discuss the way that has the chance to realize both the economic revitalization and the financial sustainability", and showed a posture that he would consider the maintenance of the fiscal discipline.

In the next meeting on monetary policy to be held on 21 to the 22nd, the Bank of Japan would examine the 2% target on commodity price increases which the prime minister had asked for. The Prime Minister said that for this meeting “the participation of the President of the Bank of Japan Shirakawa is extremely important, and a structure that could strengthen the cooperation with the Bank of Japan would be examined"; and he showed the idea of accelerating the consolidation of getting a common document that could have the same consumer price target. In the meeting, Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, the president of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings was one of the four newly appointed members from the private sector who would be present. Although this consultation meeting had played a key role on important economic policies at the Koizumi Cabinet, it was in a torpid condition at the beginning of the Democratic Party Administration.

Probably because of the intention of this new fiscal policy, the exchange rate of the Japanese yen has dropped over 10% in recent weeks. Many overseas tourists have found that now it is cheaper to travel in Japan.