URGENT: BOJ chief airs regret over 2% inflation not achieved yet

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda on Friday expressed regret over its failure to attain a 2 percent inflation target through powerful monetary easing during his 10-year tenure, saying that such accommodative policy should continue to support robust wage growth. Speaking at a press conference after his last policy meeting, Kuroda said the benefits to the economy of monetary easing "far outweigh" its side-effects. Kuroda, whose term ends in early April, expressed hope that his successor Kazuo Ueda will guide monetary policy to ensure stable and sustainable inflation. Japan's parliament on F...