VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The Liberal Democratic Party has shot down the request put forth by the Government Pension Investment Fund to lift the ban imposed on it to make direct stock investments. The LDP made a final decision on Monday to keep the ban in place, fearing the government fund would gain direct control over private companies as well as bring down the pension benefits in cases of losses incurred on investments.

The Japanese government will shoulder the decontamination costs from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster through the sale of its shares in Tokyo Electric Power Co. Decontamination costs are estimated to reach ¥2.5 trillion.

IMF department director Anoop Singh said Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic stimulus program had helped the economy of Japan against the effects of the reduction of securities purchases by the US Federal Reserve.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reportedly able to reduce the country's debt his predecessors were not able to do so in the past 15 years.

Japan was said to be studying the possibility of giving a USD 50 billion economic stimulus package to cushion the possible drag of its planned tax hike, sources told Reuters.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to maintain his platform "Abenomics" to push progress in the world's third largest economy.

Bank of Japan was optimistic about the country's economic recovery.

Japan planned to limit spending excluding payment of debts for the next two fiscal years.