By David Lawder and Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet听驰别濒濒别苍听will听耻谤驳别听her听骋20听counterparts to work towards听别苍诲ing the COVID-19听辫补苍诲别尘颈肠听in听诲别惫别濒辞辫颈苍驳听肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉听and ensuring they have the resources needed to support an equitable recovery, a U.S. Treasury official said on Tuesday.
驰别濒濒别苍听is due to participate virtually in the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies on Thursday and Friday.
The U.S. Treasury official laid out U.S. priorities for the meeting, which comes as COVID-19 Omicron variant cases are receding in many wealthy聽肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉听but are still rising in many听诲别惫别濒辞辫颈苍驳听countries. Host country Indonesia reported a daily record 57,049 new cases on Tuesday.
Southeast Asia’s most populous country had initially planned an in-person听骋20听finance meeting in Bali, but the venue was moved to Jakarta in January when it became a hybrid gathering with many officials participating virtually.
驰别濒濒别苍听will听耻谤驳别听the听骋20听to tailor their policies to individual country circumstances to secure an inclusive recovery and to close the gap in vaccine access for poorer听肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉, the official said.
This includes supporting efforts by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization to address global bottlenecks in the deployment of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, the official said.
驰别濒濒别苍听also will听耻谤驳别听骋20听肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉听to support a proposed global fund housed at the World Bank to invest in听辫补苍诲别尘颈肠听prevention and preparedness, with its estimated $75 billion cost a “bargain” compared to COVID-19’s global economic and human costs.
驰别濒濒别苍听also will express confidence that momentum will be maintained among 136聽肠辞耻苍迟谤颈别蝉听to finalize an agreement for a 15% global minimum corporate tax this year, so that it can be put into force in 2023.
The official said Democrats in the U.S. Congress broadly support the international tax provisions.
“Secretary听驰别濒濒别苍听expects they will be part of any Build Back Better bill passed,” the official added, referring to U.S. President Joe Biden’s social and climate investment bill, which is currently stalled in Congress.
驰别濒濒别苍听also intends to make a pitch for more intensive climate action to meet carbon emissions reduction goals, including mobilizing more private capital to finance the transition away from fossil fuels. Public resources can听丑别濒辫听catalyze additional private financing for reducing emissions, the official said. – Reuters
