Emerging markets must do homework: German minister

Image
Reuters FRANKFURT
Last Updated : Feb 21 2014 | 1:16 PM IST

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Emerging markets should get their own houses in order before demanding solidarity from other nations, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

The troubles in emerging markets would be the main topic discussed by finance ministers and central bank chiefs at the G20 summit in Sydney this weekend, Schaeuble told CNBC in an interview broadcast on Friday.

Stock, bond and currency markets in developing countries have convulsed in recent months, hit by concerns over weaker economic growth and the winding down of stimulus in the United States.

Emerging nations want the U.S. Federal Reserve to calibrate its winding down of stimulus so as to mitigate the impact on their economies, but industrialised nations have responded that the troubles in the emerging world are mostly home-grown.

"In my opinion we must always strive towards an approach of solidarity. Everyone must first of all do their own homework and then countries can demand solidarity from others," Schaeuble said.

In late January, Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan said the United States should be mindful of the impact of its policies on the rest of the world.

When questioned on those comments, Schaeuble said that there were sufficient internal problems in India that were not caused by the monetary policy of other countries.

Schaeuble said emerging countries must ensure they carried out structural reforms and did not rely only on monetary policy.

"We've had the problem recently in Europe and have always used the tool of monetary policy to gain some time, but this should not be misused to avoid solving the problems," he said.

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Victoria Bryan; Editing by Stephen Brown)

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 21 2014 | 1:02 PM IST

Next Story