Abe also said the government would continue to work with the central bank to boost growth, so that he could declare an official end to deflation at the earliest date possible. "Governor Kuroda has met my expectations with job availability at a 43-year high," Abe said on public broadcaster NHK.
"I want him to keep up his efforts. But I haven't made up my mind," on who should succeed Kuroda when his term ends in April, he added. Many analysts see a good chance that Kuroda will be reappointed when the government selects successors to him and his two deputies in coming months, decisions that need parliament's approval.
Abe said Japan's economy was showing signs of emerging from deflation, with a tightening job market pushing up wages. "We'll deploy all available policies so that we can declare an end to deflation at the earliest date possible," Abe said.
"It might not necessarily be this year, but the government and the BoJ must fulfill their responsibilities," he added, so as to ensure conditions to bring about an end to deflation. The government looks at several factors, such as inflation data and the output gap, in determining whether the economy is sustainably out of deflation.