BOJ to Shorten Upcoming Policy-Setting Meeting to One Day

Tokyo, April 22 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan is likely to shorten its next policy-setting meeting, currently scheduled for two days from next Monday, holding the meeting only on Monday, informed sources said Wednesday. The shortening of the upcoming Policy Board meeting will be aimed at reducing the risk of meeting participants contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to the sources. The BOJ's policy-setting meeting is attended by the Policy Board's nine members and more than 20 others including officials of the central bank, the Finance Ministry and the Cabinet Office. At the previous meeting, which was held on March 16, instead of the initially scheduled March 18 and 19, the BOJ decided to take additional monetary easing steps, in response to financial market turbulence amid the unfolding coronavirus pandemic. At the next meeting, the central bank is expected to have talks on measures to strengthen funding support for companies. END