WASHINGTON--The International Monetary Fund has no plans to provide any
financing for Spain, only to take a monitoring role in a EUR100 billion European
bailout for the country's banks, an IMF official reiterated Thursday.
But IMF spokesman Gerry Rice repeated that the fund believes Europe should
use its emergency bailout funds to take direct stakes in ailing banks as opposed
to lending to governments, which then uses the cash to recapitalize banks.
Otherwise, Europe risks boosting governments debt burdens and pushing borrowing
costs higher.
The IMF's point has been highlighted in recent days as Germany's opposition
to use euro funds for bank bailouts has fueled market concerns that Spain's
bailout will mean Madrid will be unable to pay its obligations, pushing its
borrowing costs to unsustainable levels.
Asked if Europe it's facing its last chance to fix the crisis at two upcoming
euro summits in June--as some economists believe-- Mr. Rice said IMF Managing
Director Christine Lagarde has repeatedly warned Europe of the urgency of prompt
action on a comprehensive crisis plan. The IMF has said the E.U. needs to
strengthen the capacity of its bailout funds, spur growth through looser
monetary policy and tweaking budget-tightening plans, and creating a banking
union.
Mr. Rice also said the IMF would warn world leaders at an upcoming summit of
the Group of 20 largest industrialized and developing countries of the downside
risks the global economy from a worsening of the euro zone crisis. He said the
fund is hoping the G-20 firms up commitments to boost IMF resources, as
tentatively promised earlier this year when IMF members pledged to raise more
than $430 billion in new lending resources for the fund.
Officials from some key emerging economies, including China and Brazil, have
indicated they may delay detailing any possible IMF cash commitments over
concerns about the pace of IMF governance reform that would give them greater
power within the fund.
Despite those remarks, Mr. Rice said there had been "no backtracking or
delay" on new resource commitments, and "it was never expected that the package
would be completed with every detail by" the G-20 meeting early next week.
The IMF spokesman also said there had been no request for financial
assistance from Cyprus, despite some economist expectations that the country may
soon need external financial support.