LONDON, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - The global credit squeeze is a 'serious crisis' that is not over yet and will have an impact on government budgets, the IMF's outgoing head Rodrigo Rato said in an interview published Monday.

Speaking to the Financial Times from Washington, IMF Managing Director Rato said: 'Policymakers should not think that the problems will stay at the desk of the bankers.'

'Problems are going to come to the real sector, come to the budgets -- that is something we keep telling people.'

LONDON, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - The global credit squeeze is a 'serious crisis' that is not over yet and will have an impact on governments' budgets, the IMF's outgoing head Rodrigo Rato said in an interview published Monday.

Speaking to the Financial Times from Washington, IMF Managing Director Rato said: 'Policymakers should not think that the problems will stay at the desk of the bankers.'

'Problems are going to come to the real sector, come to the budgets -- that is something we keep telling people.'

BRUSSELS, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - The European Commission said Thursday it will investigate the actions of credit ratings agencies, amid growing concern over their slow response to the US subprime mortgage crisis which has sent markets tumbling worldwide.

'The commission is going to be looking at the issue of credit ratings agencies, particularly as they relate to the ratings of structured products,' said spokeswoman Antonia Mochan.

BRUSSELS, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - The European Commission said Thursday it will investigate how credit ratings agencies operate, amid growing concern over their slow response to the US subprime mortgage crisis which has sent markets tumbling worldwide.

'The commission is going to be looking at the issue of credit ratings agencies, perticularly as they relate to the ratings of structured products,' said spokeswoman Antonia Mochan.

LONDON, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - The European Commission will investigate the role played by credit rating agencies in the recent crisis over subprime US home loans, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

'If the rating agencies believe this is going to be business as usual, they are very wrong,' an unnamed Commission official told the business daily.

'The securitised subprime mortgage market would not have grown to the extent that it did without the favourable ratings given by some agencies.'