国际英语新闻：German gov't approves new economic stimulus package

BERLIN, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The German government approved on Tuesday the new economic stimulus package of 50 billion euros (about 66.8 billion U.S. dollars) to boost German economy.

    The new package was first settled by Social Democrats (SPD), Christian Social Union (CSU) and Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the three coalition parties of German government, on Jan. 12 night.

    "The economic package is to against the global financial crisis," said Merkel. "We will make sure the measures are implemented as soon as possible."

    The aim of the package is to help German economy withstand the current crisis and become stronger after it, she said.

    The German government has to borrow more money to pay for the measures, which increase infrastructure investment and lower taxes. Merkel said increasing new borrowing was her "most difficult domestic political decision" ever made. She promised to set up a mechanism to ensure the repayments.

    The new package is said to be used as a voting measure before the general election at the end of September, according to the report of German News Agency DPA.

    The new package is the second German stimulus program in two months, after lawmakers approved a 32 billion-euro rescue package in November 2008, making the German stimulus measures amount to 82billion euros over the next two years, or about 1.6 percent of gross domestic product, the biggest economic injection in Europe. (1 U.S. dollar = 0.7485 euros)