Data Extraction

(i) April 2020, The RBA has announced yield targeting on 3-year government bonds at 0.25% through purchases of government bonds in the secondary market. On 5 May 2020, RBA has purchased AUD50 billion of Australia Government securities (AGS) and semis in the secondary market. 5 May, 2 June, 7 July, 1 September, and 6 October 2020, the RBA announced that it will maintain the current policy setting. 3 November 2020, RBA announced that it will reduce the 3-year yield target rate from 0.25% to 0.10%. On 2 February and 2 March 2021, the RBA announced that it will maintain the current policy setting at 0.10%; (ii) 3 November 2020, The RBA announced that it intends to purchase AUD100 billion of government bonds issued by the Australian Government as well as by the states and territories when the current bond purchase program is completed in mid April 2021.

BoC purchases of T-bills were in the primary market as they were auctioned; As of 17 March 2021, current T-bill holdings have increased by CAD19.421 billion since the end of February 2020, with the maximum increase occurring on 29 July 2020 at CAD115.008 billion.

(i) Government of Canada Bond Purchase Program (GBPP): Purchases will begin with a minimum of CAD5 billion per week across the yield curve. The program will be adjusted as conditions warrant but will continue until the economic recovery is well underway; on 28 October 2020, BoC announced purchases would gradually decline to CAD4 billion per week; As of 17 March 2021, the increase in government bonds owned by BoC has risen to CAD265.305 billion since the purchases in response to COVID-19 began, which is also the peak figure; (ii) 3 June 2020, Bank of Canada began purchasing Government of Canada Real Return Bonds; as of 17 March 2021, the purchased amount is CAD4.071 billion; the peak figure of CAD4.251 billion occurred on 17 February 2021 (pre-COVID BoC did not hold government real return bonds).

As of July 30, The Reserve Bank of Fiji has purchased FJD280 million of Government bonds to help finance the Government deficit.

The BOJ will purchase a necessary amount of JGBs without setting an upper limit so that 10-year JGB yields will remain at around 0%. The peak change in BOJ purchases of Japanese government securities less bank notes since 20 February 2020 amounted to JPY48.012 trillion, posted in 20 December 2020 [update].