Private consumption has been increasing moderately, albeit with fluctuations, against the background of an improvement in the employment and income situation. However, careful attention is warranted on future developments, including those prior to and after the consumption tax hike scheduled for October 2019.
The financial market has experienced rapid growth of market intermediary businesses and public participation witnessed by oversubscriptions during initial public offerings (IPO). The Bank has received a number of enquiries and applications geared towards carrying out brokerage, asset management and advisory services besides banking.