TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s government must respond to any damage recent rising prices inflict on consumption and the economy, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Wednesday.
“While the recent rises in prices are driven partly by currency moves, they are predominantly due to increasing global fuel costs,” Suzuki told parliament.
“If prices rise before wages … that could hurt household income and affect consumption,” he said.
(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Tom Hogue)