To support the efforts of banks, the Bank started purchasing stocks held by them in November 2002. The total value of stocks purchased by the Bank amounts to 1.8 trillion yen to date, and in September, the Bank decided to extend the stock purchasing period by one year. Needless to say, the market should be the place in which stocks are traded.
Fortunately, trading volumes on the stock market have been high since May, and the market seems to be recovering its function. In September, the Banks’ Shareholdings Purchase Corporation was reformed so that it could function more effectively.