WASHINGTON, March 24 — G7 finance ministers and central bank chiefs today vowed to “do whatever is necessary” to safeguard jobs and the economy from disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The officials said they are working cooperatively with “substantial and complementary packages” to help companies weather the impact.
“We will do whatever is necessary to restore confidence and economic growth and to protect jobs, businesses, and the resilience of the financial system,” the group said in a statement released in Washington.
The statement came as Wall Street rebounded at the open, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 6.7 per cent on expectations the US Congress would soon pass a trillion-dollar stimulus package.
Last week, leaders of the G7 comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States issued a similar statement vowing to protect economic growth, while warning the outbreak poses “major risks for the world economy.”
That prediction appears to have borne fruit, with some forecasters predicting the global economy could shrink 1.5 per cent this year and the US seen as facing a staggering 14 per cent contraction.
In their statement today, the finance and central bank heads called on all countries to take “liquidity support and fiscal expansion” measures, and said they would coordinate weekly on their own moves.
“We pledge to maintain expansionary policies for as long as needed and stand ready to take further action, using the full range of instruments consistent with our mandates,” the statement said. — AFP
