Hon Bill English

Minister of Finance

16 January 2014

Media Statement

English to attend World Economic Forum

Finance Minister Bill English will attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland next week.

It is the first time Mr English has attended the Forum annual meeting, which attracts around 3,000 political, business and economic leaders from around the world.

“The Forum will provide me with an opportunity to better understand the global risks to New Zealand’s positive economic outlook,” he says. “It will also provide me with a clearer understanding of how the people and markets we trade with are thinking about our common challenges.

“I’m particularly interested in discussions about returning to what many call ‘natural growth’, as economies exit from large monetary and fiscal stimulus programmes.

“The unwinding of these stimulus programmes by large economies will certainly have an impact on small open economies like New Zealand’s.”

Mr English leaves for Switzerland on 20 January and returns to New Zealand on 27 January.

ENDS

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