Germany: 750 bln euro aid package is just first step in tackling coronavirus

Reuters
Updated ·1 min read

BERLIN, March 24 (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said that an aid package worth up to 750 billion euros ($816.38 billion) that the government announced on Monday was just an initial step in tackling the coronavirus crisis.

"The federal government is clear that we view this package of measures as just the first step," Altmaier told a news conference on Tuesday.

"We know that the time to implementation is critical. We want to makes sure help arrives as quickly as possible," he added.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is ready to mull a post-virus stimulus package, but discussions within the government on the measures are still at "a very early stage", a senior official with knowledge of the talks said on Tuesday.

($1 = 0.9187 euros) (Reporting by Michelle Martin Editing by Thomas Escritt)