Japan policy blueprint focuses on green, digital, sticks to fiscal target for now

• Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga plans to accelerate investment in green projects and digital transformation, setting his eyes on new sources of economic growth in the post-COVID era, according to a draft blueprint of policy priorities for the coming fiscal year released on Wednesday. The first mid-year blueprint under Suga's administration marked a gradual shift away from the crisis mode seen last year when the focus centred on efforts to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. "It's a step in the right direction to spend money in the most promising areas," said Masaki Kuwahara, senior economist at Nomura Securities.