Additionally, land price adjustments have advanced, especially in major cities, and the increase in housing-related investment, among others, is another factor contributing to the rise in bank lending. Future risk factors Of course, there are certain risk factors for the economic outlook. The Bank is paying particular attention to the rise in crude oil prices and the developments in overseas economies.
Crude oil prices marked a record high around the end of August 2005 (about 70 U.S. dollars/barrel for WTI crude oil) following the hurricane damage in the United States, and have softened somewhat recently, but remain at a rather high level.