Japan's Suga backs Kuroda to keep monetary policy ultra-easy

Potential Abe successor seeks to revive SME sector and promote digital reforms

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a candidate to replace Shinzo Abe as prime minister, speaks with Nikkei in his office in Tokyo on Saturday. (Photo by Kento Awashima)

SHUNSUKE SHIGETA, Nikkei staff writer

September 5, 2020 14:18 JST

Updated on September 5, 2020 18:53 JST

TOKYO -- Yoshihide Suga, the favorite to become Japan's new prime minister, backed Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, making it likely monetary policy will stay ultra-easy should he become the nation's next leader.

The chief cabinet secretary of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration said in an interview with Nikkei on Saturday that he "highly appreciates" the massive quantitative easing program Kuroda has maintained since becoming governor in 2013.