TOKYO, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) left its benchmark interest rate on hold at the end of its two-day board meeting on Friday, amid uncertainty related to U.S. tariffs and domestic political landscape.
The central bank kept its uncollateralized overnight call rate at around 0.5 percent, marking the fifth consecutive meeting in which the BOJ has stood pat, as widely expected with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba set to step down in about two weeks.
Meanwhile, two of the BOJ's nine board members voted against the decision, proposing hiking the rate to around 0.75 percent.
In a statement released after the meeting, the central bank maintained the view that its sustainable and stable 2 percent inflation target will be achieved in the latter half of the three-year outlook period through March 2028, a prerequisite for further hikes. ■
