Since the Covid-19 pandemic was declared in March last year, the government has launched eight stimulus packages worth RM530bil to address the crisis. Ndiame Diop, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, acknowledges the comprehensiveness of Malaysia’s stimulus measures. For example, as at April 2021, the government announced only 4% of the RM1.7bil allocated for the digital sector through four economic stimulus packages have been utilised.”In the long termA concern Assoc Prof Saidatu-lakmal has is the sustainability of Malaysia’s stimulus packages. But then we face the challenges of coverage and adequacy.”Similarly, countries with stimulus packages also recover better than countries without or limited stimulus packages, she says. “It is timely to consider the introduction of a ‘social protection floor’ for income security throughout a person’s lifecycle.

Source: The Star August 01, 2021 00:22 UTC