Although weakening of prices had come to a halt by the second half of fiscal 1996, prices were unlikely to follow an upward trend. Against the background of these economic and price conditions, the Bank of Japan maintained an easy monetary policy, keeping the official discount rate at its September 1995 level of 0.5 percent to establish a solid foundation for the economic recovery.
Finally, it has been also suggested that the G20 could enhance its legitimacy by relying more on international financial institutions and engaging current non-members on an issue-by-issue basis, rather than by expanding its membership overly, which could dilute its effectiveness.15 Greater involvement of international organisations, whose membership is universal, could significantly increase the legitimacy of decisions taken at the G20.