Government Official: Cabinet Office and Housing Construction

government official: The Japanese economy is on a moderate recovery, while delayed improvement in part can be seen, the report said, using the same wording for three months in a row, according to The Japan Times. The Cabinet Office said the trend of a pick-up in private consumption is still in place but it appears to have been pausing recently. The monthly economic assessment for February said that sluggish consumer spending remains one of the major bottlenecks for growth as the Cabinet Office upgraded its view on business investment, exports and imports. Rising prices of perishables put a damper on consumption in late 2016 and consumers appear more willing to save money than increase spending, a government official said. The view on housing construction was also downgraded. Its January report described private consumption as showing movements of picking up. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.