TOKYO, Mar 17: The Bank of Japan maintained its massive stimulus and its optimistic assessment of the economy on Tuesday, signalling that the country is on course to emerge from recession without additional monetary loosening. As widely expected, the BOJ left unchanged its pledge to increase base money, or cash and deposits at the central bank, at an annual pace of 80 trillion yen ($659 billion) through purchases of government bonds and risky assets. The central bank said core consumer inflation is likely to move around zero percent for the time being due to declines in energy prices.
BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda will hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m. (0630 GMT) to explain the policy decision. The BOJ has stood pat since expanding stimulus in October last year to prevent slumping oil prices, and a subsequent slowdown in inflation, from delaying a sustained end to deflation. (AGENCIES)^^^^
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