Following are comments on Saturday from Group of 20 finance ministers, central bank policymakers and officials meeting in Scotland. Skip related content
LATEST QUOTES
U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY TIMOTHY GEITHNER
"It is too early to start to lean against recovery."
"If we put the brakes on too quickly we will weaken the economy and the financial system, unemployment will rise, more businesses will fail, budget deficits will rise, and the ultimate cost of the crisis will be greater." "With growth now underway and the financial fires winding down, the policy challenge is changing. The first stage was the emergency rescue."
"The next stage was catalysing private demand and business investment. This will require continued policy support."
EARLIER QUOTES
PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN
On banking tax:
"There have been proposals for an insurance fee to reflect systemic risk or a resolution fund or contingent capital arrangements or a global transaction levy."
"I do not in any way underestimate the enormous and difficult practical and technical issues that will need to be overcome that a globally cohesive system requires and raises," Brown said.
"But I do not think these issues should prevent us from considering with urgency the legitimate issues I have discussed."
On framework for rebalancing economy:
"Together we need to reduce sources of instability, including volatile oil and commodity prices.
"To make a reality of the new model for economic governance, the G20 will need to articulate more clearly and precisely these broad policy objectives.
"So the agreement you are explicitly discussing today commits G20 countries for the first time to set objectives; to assess how our individual policies for economic development fit together; to evaluate whether these will deliver our objectives; and judge if further action is needed."
On growth:
"While recent indications of economic expansion give cause for cautious optimism they are not a reason to end economic stimulus prematurely," Brown told G20 ministers and central bankers.
CHANCELLOR ALISTAIR DARLING:
On climate change financing:
"I am perfectly well aware that round this table there are different views, there are arguments that we need to have ... and some tough negotiating.
"I think it really is imperative that when we reach the end of the day that we have shown that we have made some real progress.
"It really is important that we as finance ministers are engaged in this, because if there isn't an agreement on finance ... then the Copenhagen agreement is going to be much, much more difficult.
"We won't have a final word today ... but I do think we need to make progress and show that we are willing to come to the table to play our part."
On global growth and new framework
"I hope we can agree we need to maintain our support for our economies until the recovery is established. We continue to do that because, while clearly confidence levels have returned, we are still in a position where there is a lot of uncertainty, a lot of risks that still need to be negotiated.
"We also, I think, need to agree a framework that will allow us to ensure we have growth over the next decade, because with growth will come jobs and will come the increasing prosperity upon which the people we represent depend.
"It's very important we get that framework for future growth, that we don't simply accept there is no alternative but a decade of austerity, of low growth and unemployment but instead we raise our sights, raise our ambition."
(Reuters G20 newsroom)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the Northern Hemisphere, global health officials said on Friday, but they cautioned it was far from over.
