Consensus reached on wide range of issues

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-03 09:12

LONDON: G20 leaders agreed on the following key points:

More regulation: All "systemically important" financial institutions, instruments and markets must be regulated, including hedge funds - opaque investment vehicles favored by institutional investors and the very rich.

Executive pay: New principles on pay and compensation to avoid pay schemes that encourage excessive risk taking and reward failure.

Tax havens: Non-cooperative offshore tax havens will be named and shamed, and could face sanctions if they do not agree to accept international rules. Governments have laid out huge sums and face larger deficits, and are in no mood to see tax revenue slip away.

Rating agencies: These companies, much criticized for giving high ratings to securities that turned out to be risky, should face an international code of good practice to eliminate conflict of interest. Critics say security issuers pay for the ratings and that this constitutes a conflict.

Bank reserves: Banks should build up more capital in good times to buffer against downturns, but only after recovery occurs. Many banks have needed new capital during the crisis.

IMF: Another $1 trillion for the world economy through the International Monetary Fund, which lends to governments in financial trouble, and other institutions.

Trade: Rejection of trade-blocking measures to protect individual economies, plus another $250 billion in financing to help trade flows.

AP

China Effort

• China buys IFC bonds, backs trade finance
• Shopping team headed for US tour
• China, Argentina to push for equitable financial system
• Vice premier calls on G20 to fight crisis unitedly
• China calls for increasing cooperation with EU
• more

Global Action

• G20 leaders agree on supervisory body
• G20 summit progress despite differences
• G20 leaders mull tripling of funds available through IMF
• Desperate world leaders meet on economic woes
• UK's Brown hopeful for G20, says more to be done
• more

Related Coverage

• Hu at G20 and APEC
• China Statistics
• 2009 NPC and CPPCC
• Chinese Economy
• World Financial Crisis
• more