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Reuters
Reuters
Business

Withdrawal of companies from Libra project is a good sign: Scholz

FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed Facebook Libra cryptocurrency logo is seen in front of displayed German flag in this illustration taken, September 13, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told Reuters on Tuesday that the recent withdrawal of several important companies from Facebook's Libra project was a good sign, adding that the plan poses a threat to the stability of world finances.

Facebook Inc's ambitious efforts to establish a global digital currency called Libra suffered severe setbacks in recent weeks as major payment companies including Mastercard and Visa Inc quit the group behind the project.

"It's a good sign that important companies have withdrawn from this project," Scholz said in an interview with Reuters.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is pictured in his office during an interview with Reuters in Berlin, Germany, October 15, 2019. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

"I see the project as a threat to the autonomy of states and to democratic governance in our society. We must ensure that the issuance of a currency remains a matter for states and not large private companies," Scholz added.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber,)

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