Turning to domestic demand in Japan, the momentum of recovery in private consumption might temporarily weaken in the latter half of fiscal 2010 as the effects of policy measures gradually wane. Nevertheless, the underlying trend of a recovery is not likely to be interrupted given the continued improvement in the employment and income situation.
But taken together, along with the private sector restructuring that was occurring at the same time, they have amounted to a major set of reforms, and have made the Australian economy leaner, more flexible and more competitive. 5  BIS Review 58/1999  Whilst these measures make the economy more efficient and competitive in the longer run, they of course have short-run costs.