Singapore  - Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan on Thursday urged economies worldwide to maintain their stimulus packages, saying there were still no clear signs of a sustained pick-up in private demand and challenges like rising unemployment lying ahead.

"We have to maintain stimulus because there is not yet firm evidence of a sustained improvement in global private demand," Swan said before joining a ministerial meeting at the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore.

The stimulus policies could gradually be withdrawn as private demand grew, he said.

"What we have to do is to make sure that we do not withdraw globally support too early," Swan added.

The Australian government was determined to maintain its stimulus package, the treasurer said, as "the increase in unemployment in Australia shows what a substantial challenge we still have on the employment front."

According to numbers released Thursday, the number of unemployed rose slightly to 670,000, he said, adding that the government's forecast showed a possible further increase of about 100,000 people.

"Our economy is growing," Swan said, "but we do understand that as a consequence of the global recession, there are still very substantial challenges facing our economy and economies in the region and around the world."

Global growth would go forward, he said, but it would not be as driven by the Western consumer as it once had been.

Going into the meeting with ministers from the Asia-Pacific, Swan said "in these region, there is immense capacity to lift productivity and drive global growth."

The one-week Singapore APEC summit brings together ministers and leaders of the 21 Pacific Rim economies representing about 54 per cent of the global gross domestic product and 44 per cent of world trade.

Measures to overcome the global recession are at the top of the summit agenda. The APEC heads of government, set to meet over the weekend, were expected to release a joint statement endorsing maintaining stimulus policies until a durable economic recovery was secured.

US President Barack Obama centered his first official visit in Asia around the APEC summit. He was also scheduled to meet the leaders of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Myanmar, for the inaugural US-ASEAN summit on Sunday.

APEC consists of Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Peru, Russia, the United States and Vietnam. (dpa)