IMF for ‘strong front’ amid crisis
Closer co-operation among financial powers urged to put world economy back on track.
Wrapping up its meeting at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, the panel stressed that “the challenges facing the world economy are of a global nature, requiring strong action and close co-operation among the membership”.
Tasked with maintaining global financial stability, the IMF, whose own finances are strained, insists its expertise and global range make it a key player in resolving what Strauss-Kahn earlier called the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
During the meeting, Strauss-Kahn said that rising inflation, especially in food, could have terrible consequences for the world if it continues and action needed to be taken to keep rising prices in check.
“Hundreds of thousands of people will be starving … leading to disruption of the economic environment,” he said.
The meeting concluded on the note that sharply higher energy and food prices have complicated the economic problems and have led to social unrest in developing countries.