Japan's economy minister Kaoru Yosano said Sunday the government may consider offering an extra economic stimulus package if the economy deteriorates further.
"I think that would be a wise move," Yosano told the private broadcaster TV Asahi, when asked whether the government was ready to offer additional stimulus packages if Japan's economic growth for the fourth quarter to December turns out to be bad.
Figures for Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) for the October-December quarter are set to be announced on February 16. Prime Minister Taro Aso in December announced a stimulus package worth 23 trillion yen (253 billion dollars), in addition to a 26.9 trillion yen package unveiled in October.
The latest stimulus package, included in the budget plan for the fiscal year starting April, is currently being debated by parliament.
Yosano's remarks came after official figures showed industrial production plunged a record 9.6 percent in December from the previous month as firms idled factory lines in response to slumping exports.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009

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