日本央行(BOJ)行長福井俊彥(Toshihiko Fukui)昨日闡明了日本需要逐步加息的理由，并警告稱，如果利率持續保持低位，可能會加劇日元套利交易，并危及日本經濟的穩定。
Japan’s central bank governor yesterday made the case for a gradual increase in interest rates, warning that keeping rates low could fuel the so-called yen carry trade and destabilise the country’s economy.
福井俊彥昨日在日本國會講話時表示，與經濟運行狀況相比，日元利率偏低。日本目前的基準利率為0.5%，是七國集團(G7)中最低的，而日本近年一直保持略高于2%的的經濟增幅。
Japan’s interest rates, which at 0.5 per cent are the lowest among the Group of Seven nations, are relatively low in comparison with the economy, which has been growing at a little more than 2 per cent in recent years, Toshihiko Fukui, Bank of Japan governor, told parliament.
但是，福井俊彥希望反駁一種日益流行的觀點。這種觀點認為日本央行近期可能無法加息。而日本央行擔心，這種觀點可能助推房地產泡沫，并鼓勵更多投資者借入低利率的日元，投資于收益率更高的海外資產(即所謂的套利交易)。
But Mr Fukui sought to counter a growing view that the BoJ may not be able to raise rates soon, which it fears could fuel a real estate bubble and more investors borrowing low-interest yen to invest in higher-yielding assets overseas, in what is known as the carry trade.
福井俊彥對日本參議院金融委員會表示："如果市場預期認為，無論物價和經濟狀況如何，日本都將保持低利率，那么，這就可能鼓勵人們進行低效率的資產配置，如投資房地產和日元套利交易等。"
"If the expectation takes hold that low interest rates will continue regardless of the situation of both prices and the economy, then that could invite inefficient allocation of capital including real estate and the yen carry trade," he told the Upper House’s financial committee.
"如果日本央行在利率調整方面動作太慢，就可能會增加(發生上述風險的)可能性，意味著我們沒有盡到職責。"
"If the BoJ acts too slowly in adjusting interest rates, that would raise the possibility of [upside risks] occurring and would mean that we are not fulfilling our responsibility."
與此同時，歐洲央行官員也明確表示，有必要緊縮貨幣政策：歐洲央行(ECB)行長讓-克洛德o特里謝(Jean-Claude Trichet)昨日暗示，歐元區利率將在6月份升至4%的水平;而英國央行(Bank of England)也于昨日決定將主導利率提高25個基點，至5.5%，為6年來最高水平。
Mr Fukui’s comments came as European central bankers made it clear that tighter monetary policy was necessary: Jean-Claude Trichet, European Central Bank president, yesterday signalled that eurozone rates would rise to 4 per cent in June, while the Bank of England raised its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 5.5 per cent, its highest in six years.
此外，美聯儲(Fed)周三也重申了它的主要憂慮，擔心"通貨膨脹可能不像預期那樣趨緩"。至此，世界主要央行均已表示，他們的首要任務依然是控制通貨膨脹。
With the Federal Reserve reiterating its main concern that "inflation will fail to moderate as expected" on Wednesday, all the world’s big central banks have signalled their primary focus remains the control of inflation.
