IMF warns about 'damaging cuts'

The head of the International Monetary Fund has urged countries to ease back on financial cuts because of the impact they are having on growth.

According to the Financial Times (£), Christine Lagarde warned against bringing in too many spending cuts and tax increases at once, saying: "It's sometimes better to have a bit more time."

The IMF has predicted a huge contraction in Greece for this year and for 2013. Predictions for GDP in the Eurozone are -0.4 this year and 0.4 next year, but Greece falls way below this with the worst estimates in the world.

The IMF predictions for Greece:

• –6.9% actual GDP in 2011
• –6.0% 2012 projection
• –4.0% 2013 projection

The grim economic forecast comes as Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to make an unpopular visit to Greece.

An overview of the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook projections, as it downgrades its estimate for global growth for this year to 3.3%.

The International Monetary Fund has slashed its forecast for the UK economy's growth, it predicts it will shrink by 0.4% this year.

In July, growth of 0.2% was forecast for the year.

The IMF also cut its forecast for next year from 1.4% to 1.1%.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the global economic recovery is weakening as it downgraded its global growth forecast to 3.3%, down from its July estimate of 3.5 %.

The IMF also cut its estimate for global growth in 2013 from to 3.6% from the 3.9% it forecast in July.

In its World Economic Outlook report, the IMF said:

"A key issue is whether the global economy is just hitting another bout of turbulence in what was always expected to be a slow and bumpy recovery or whether the current slowdown has a more lasting component".

"The answer depends on whether European and U.S policymakers deal proactively with their major short-term economic challenges."