The Bundesbank is set to transfer to the government 11 billion marks ($5.15 billion) in profits both in 2000 and 2001 but the sum will likely be halved next year after the launch of euro cash, the Focus magazine said on Feb 18, 2001. The magazine said, citing finance ministry estimates, that the central bank's profits will fall to about five to six billion marks in 2002 mainly becasue of a drop in earnings from the issuance of banknotes after the switch to euro cash.

A finance ministry spokesman