One of five listed companies now sets numerical targets for return on equity.

The agreement would not include reference to numerical targets, the Japanese reports said.

The government has numerical targets for reducing emissions and conserving energy.

But the agreement contained no numerical targets by which to measure progress toward market opening.

Japan has rejected that approach as a use of "numerical targets" and managed trade.

Yet what the banks agreed to do was simply to try to make more money, by cutting their own costs according to overall numerical targets.

Administration officials say they will pursue measures other than numerical targets.

I am also strongly committed to getting a numerical target on the fight against poverty and social exclusion.

The chipagreement is in place until 1996 but the only numerical target was for the 20 percent level by the end of 1992.

Those criteria need not set a specific numerical target.