The Japanese government had the International Monetary Fund delete a sentence on the country’s apparent pledge to phase out support for overseas coal projects in a staff report released last month, government sources said.
The deletion was made at the request of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which places an emphasis on exports of coal-fired power plants.
File photo taken in October 2020 shows a coal-fired power plant in the city of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. (Kyodo)
The report, which details conclusions made by IMF staff at the end of an official visit to Japan, was released on Jan. 27 following online discussions between the international financial institution and the Japanese government.
The document contains analysis on recent economic developments and policies in Japan amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, as well as the outlook and risks for future recovery.
Under a…
