Bank of Japan Considers Ending Negative Interest Rates

Potential Prime Minister Candidate Shigeru Ishiba Calls for Immediate Policy Change

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymakers discussed the possibility of a near-term exit from negative interest rates and scenarios for phasing out the bank's massive stimulus program.
Conditions are falling into place to soon pull short-term interest rates out of negative territory, which would be Japan's first interest rate hike since 2007.
Shigeru Ishiba, a ruling party heavyweight and potential prime minister candidate, has called for an immediate end to the BOJ's negative rate policy.
The BOJ's negative rate policy has been criticized for allowing companies to delay efforts to boost productivity by keeping borrowing costs ultra-low.
Many market players expect the BOJ to end negative rates either in March or April due to inflation exceeding the BOJ's target for well over a year.