Mitsuhiro Furusawa, IMF's deputy managing director speaking over the weekend to Reuters:
- Says "If you keep missing your medium- to long-term fiscal target, people will start having doubts" on whether Japan is serious about reining its burgeoning public debt
- "Delaying the tax hike just because you don't like it won't be too convincing"
On the yen he said it was important to avoid volatility:
- "Some companies may benefit from a weak yen, while others may not. But for companies to have enough time to adjust their business plans, it's important that the yen doesn't move too rapidly"
- "Policymakers would need to respond to excessive volatility or disorderly currency moves. Otherwise, currency rates should basically be determined by markets"
more at the link, above