BOJ Keeps Economic View Unchanged for 8 of 9 Regions

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)--The Bank of Japan left its economic assessment unchanged for eight of the country's nine regions in a quarterly report released Thursday, while revising up the view for the other, Chugoku in western Japan.

The Regional Economic Report said constraints on production eased following the lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns overseas. It also said that progress has been made on balancing infection prevention measures with economic activities.

Meanwhile, the report mentioned concerns among companies about higher prices and raw material costs against a backdrop of rising commodity markets and the yen's weakening.

In the report, adopted at the day's meeting of BOJ branch managers, the bank's assessment on consumption was raised for Chugoku, lowered for the Kinki western region and kept unchanged for the seven other regions.

Consumption was dampened by a resurgence of the novel coronavirus. But its impact was smaller than the effects seen during previous waves of infections, due to the absence of movement restrictions linked to COVID-19 in the summer holiday season.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]