Economists: Get the people to spend

Driving the economy: The government must create an environment that is safe for people to leave their houses and carry out activities to revive businesses, say economists. — SS KANESAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Merely lifting the conditional movement control order will not be enough to revive the economy if the people are not convinced it is safe to go out and spend to increase demand for businesses, say leading economists.

As the National Security Council meets today to decide if it is time to lift the conditional MCO imposed on all states except for Kedah, Melaka, Terengganu and Johor, economists say the biggest problem other than the Covid-19 pandemic must be seriously addressed to save livelihoods.