RPT-BOJ minutes: some said longer-dated JGB purchases a future option

TOKYO, March 12 (Reuters) - Some Bank of Japan board members said that buying JGBs with longer remaining maturities is an option if additional monetary easing is needed in the future, minutes of its policy-setting meeting in February showed on Tuesday.

A few members also said it is possible to combine JGB purchases under its asset programme with "rinban" debt purchases to simplify monetary policy.

At its Feb. 13-14 meeting, the BOJ kept monetary policy steady and revised up its assessment of the economy as the yen's recent declines and signs of a pickup in global demand supported exports.

The BOJ also kept policy on hold at a subsequent meeting last week as the central bank prepares to welcome a new governor and two new deputy governors in a switch to more aggressive monetary policy.