Eurozone authorities are pushing for a deal to lend about €150bn to the International Monetary Fund, a boost that would give it more firepower to help with the eurozone debt crisis.

At a meeting of senior officials on Wednesday night, eurozone governments signalled proposals for €150bn in bilateral loans, expected to come through their central banks, which they said could be augmented by another €50bn from outside the eurozone. Denmark, a non-euro country, said it would contribute €5.4bn through its central bank.

But the German government has not yet given its final approval for the move. According to a senior German official, Berlin wants to ensure that a leveraged €440bn eurozone rescue fund is up and running before considering new IMF resources. Even if new IMF funding is needed, the official added, Berlin is not prepared to finalise any package by the end of the summit today.