In addition, attention should be paid to whether ambitious business fixed investment plans will be steadily implemented and whether the moderate improving trend in employment and income conditions will be maintained. In the meantime, consumer prices (all items less fresh food; on a year-on-year basis) have so far been hovering around 0 percent in 2012.
A baseline scenario for the outlook for prices is that the year-on-year rate of change in consumer prices will hover around 0 percent for the time being, and subsequently increase moderately as aggregate supply and demand balance improves.