BOJ policymaker signals chance of ending pandemic-relief programmes

The Bank of Japan may end its pandemic-relief funding programmes in March as corporate funding conditions have improved significantly from the cash crunch last year caused by the COVID-19 crisis, board member Hitoshi Suzuki said on Thursday.

The fate of the programmes will depend much on how the spread of the Omicron variant affects the economy, he added.

The central bank is expected to debate at this month's policy meeting whether to extend the March 2022 deadline for a package of steps introduced last year to address immediate corporate funding strains caused by the pandemic.

While Suzuki said he was undecided on the