Malaysia’s debt levels set to rise this year

In a recent interview with StarBizWeek, Zafrul (pic) said there are plans to bring the fiscal deficit down to 3% to 4% in the medium term, while debt-to-GDP is expected to remain under 60% of GDP by end-2021. “We expect a V-shaped recovery based on current economic numbers.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s debt levels are expected to rise this year at a fiscal deficit of an estimated 5.8% to 6%, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

In an interview with CNBC yesterday, Zafrul noted that fiscal injections into the economy stand at around 20% of its gross domestic product (GDP) at present.