Aida, who is also chief Japan economist at Credit Agricole, spoke to the Nikkei newspaper and said that: "It would be quite risky for the BOJ to raise interest rates in December."
Adding that a December rate hike will run counter to the government's plans to stimulate the economy with large-scale spending. Aida then argued that it would be more plausible for the BOJ to pursue a rate hike in January next year instead, that is also if the economy is forecast to post solid growth in the fiscal year 2026.
For some context, Japan prime minister Takaichi has set up a flagship panel to debate her administration's growth strategy and Aida is one economist chosen to be part of that. So, the bias here tells you about how that team looks to be set up.
