Germany denies euro worry

THE German government yesterday denied reports that Germany might be excluded from Europe's currency union, the euro, for breaching…

THE German government yesterday denied reports that Germany might be excluded from Europe's currency union, the euro, for breaching its budget targets, but officials admitted more cost-cutting was needed to ensure EMU entry.

"Only the tax estimate, to be released in May, will present new clarity about fiscal affairs," a finance ministry spokesman said, brushing off a report in the newspaper Welt am Sonntag that Germany was close to exceeding its borrowing budget for 1997 of 53.4 billion deutschmarks (£20.1 billion).