BOJ's Kataoka: No need to debate exit strategy now - Sankei

TOKYO (Reuters) - Bank of Japan board member Goushi Kataoka said the central bank should focus on ways to achieve its 2 percent inflation target instead of debating an exit strategy from its massive stimulus programme, the Sankei newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The BOJ must take additional easing steps to achieve its price target at the earliest date possible, so that prolonged monetary easing does not hurt Japan's financial system, Kataoka was quoted by Sankei as saying in the interview.

At a previous rate review in October, Kataoka dissented to the BOJ's decision to keep monetary policy steady on the view more easing steps were needed to hit its price target.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Eric Meijer)