日本の成長率予想引き上げへ　緊急事態響くも持ち直し―ＩＭＦ

　【ワシントン時事】国際通貨基金（ＩＭＦ）のライス報道官は１４日の記者会見で、２０２１年の日本経済について、新型コロナウイルス流行を受けた財政出動などに支えられ、「徐々に回復すると見込んでいる」と述べた。２６日に公表する最新の世界経済見通しで、日本の成長率予想を昨年１０月時点の２．３％から上方修正する考えを示唆した。
　報道官は、コロナ感染再拡大を受け、大都市を中心に外出自粛などを求める緊急事態宣言が出されたため、２１年１～３月期は景気が落ち込むと指摘。ただ財政支援策や金融緩和策、コロナ禍で抑えられていた需要の回復により、４～６月期以降に持ち直しが始まると述べた。（2021/01/15-05:30）

International Monetary Fund spokesman Gerry Rice suggested Thursday that the institution plans to revise up its projection of Japan's economic growth rate for 2021.
   The IMF expects "gradual recovery in Japan" thanks to stimulus measures implemented by the Japanese government amid the novel coronavirus crisis, Rice said in a press conference, suggesting that the upcoming IMF World Economic Outlook report, to be released on Jan. 26, will forecast a higher growth rate for Japan than in the October 2020 report, which predicted the country's 2021 growth at 2.3 pct.
   The spokesman noted that the Japanese economy is expected to slow down in January-March 2021 as major cities in the country have been put under a state of COVID-19 emergency amid a resurgence of infection cases. Under the emergency, the government requests businesses to shorten operating hours and seeks citizens' voluntary restrictions on going out.
   "We expect the recovery to pick up in the second quarter, supported by pent-up demand and restored business confidence along with support from fiscal and monetary policies," Rice said.
   He also said the latest coronavirus state of emergency will have a smaller economic impact than the one declared when infections first surged in Japan in spring last year.