日銀利上げ「緩やかに継続を」　２７年に１．５％へ―ＩＭＦ局長

　【ワシントン時事】国際通貨基金（ＩＭＦ）のスリニバーサン・アジア太平洋局長は２４日の記者会見で、日本のインフレ状況を踏まえ、「追加利上げは緩やかなペースで続けるべきだ」と日銀に要請した。７月の追加利上げについては、インフレ抑制の一助になるとして歓迎した。
　ＩＭＦは最新の世界経済見通しで、日銀が２０２７年に政策金利を１．５％へ引き上げると予想した。スリニバーサン氏は、日本の投資家が大量に保有する外国債への影響について、利上げペースが緩やかなため、資金流出といった「波及は抑えられる」と見込んだ。
　また、日銀の利上げ路線が日本の成長見通し改善に伴うものであり、「アジアや世界経済にとって良いことだ」と強調した。（2024/10/25-04:50）

Additional interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan "should proceed at a gradual pace," given balanced risks of inflation in the country, Krishna Srinivasan, director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the International Monetary Fund, said Thursday.
   Welcoming the Japanese central bank's decision in July to increase its policy rate to 0.25 pct from the previous range of around zero to 0.1 pct, Srinivasan told a press conference that the move "will help anchor inflation and inflation expectations at around the (BOJ's) 2 pct target."
   In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF expects the BOJ's policy rate to reach 1.5 pct in 2027.
   "From a very global perspective, an increase in interest rates in Japan could have output spillovers to other sovereign debt markets where Japanese investors hold large positions," Srinivasan said. "But that said, so far we've seen these growth spillovers to be pretty muted because the BOJ decisions have been well communicated and they've been very gradual."
   Furthermore, Srinivasan said that the BOJ's interest rate hikes are in line with improving prospects in Japan. "When Japan's economy grows, it's good for both the region and for the global economy," he added.