C. Key in Forecasting the Outlook What is most important in terms of the outlook is that the degree of uncertainty over COVID-19 constraining economic activity decreases on the back of, for example, further progress with vaccinations, so that private consumption will no longer be sluggish.
We cannot be optimistic about developments in domestic and overseas economies because the number of variant cases has kept increasing globally; however, as the impact of COVID-19 almost subsides, the virtuous cycle is expected to be seen not only in the corporate sector but also in the household sector.