German FinMin-will not announce tax cut plans early

BERLIN, March 19 (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Friday the government would announce potentially vote-winning proposals for tax cuts between mid-May and the end of June, and not before a regional election in May.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung had reported the government was planning a change in strategy and would present its proposals for tax reform before the May 9 election in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). [ID:nLDE62H128]

Asked if Germany should do more to stimulate domestic demand and concentrate less on its export sector to address imbalances in the euro zone, Schaeuble said the onus lies with countries that have lost competitiveness.

"It is overall good for Europe that Germany has a competitive economy," he told Deutschlandfunk radio. "To improve Europe's overall competitiveness a few countries are needed that are more competitive than average." (Reporting by Brian Rohan and Sarah Marsh)