Former Bank of Japan policy board member Makoto Ando: Bank of Japan rate hike in October is not impossible.

Former Bank of Japan Policy Board member Makoto Ando: The Bank of Japan is likely to raise its economic and inflation forecasts in the October quarterly outlook report. If strong second-quarter GDP growth prompts the Bank of Japan to revise its growth and inflation forecasts, then a rate hike in October is not out of the question. A rate hike to 0.75% by the Bank of Japan is unlikely to cause significant damage to the Japanese economy. If the Bank of Japan focuses on risks, it is likely to postpone the rate hike until March next year.