Based on these observations, it was expected that the uptrend in the CPI would probably be achieved, even though those movements would be partially offset by downward pressures stemming from intense competition among domestic firms, intensified cross-border competition under deepened globalization, and advances in information and telecommunication technology.
The growth rate of the core CPI was thus estimated to be within the range of 0–1 percent in fiscal 2006 and would approach the level of slightly below 1 percent in fiscal 2007.