Winning over rating agencies just as crucial

EARLY next week, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng will be paying a visit to the rating agencies to state Malaysia’s rationale for the decisions taken in Budget 2019.

Meeting the rating agencies is an important step in articulating the fiscal position the country is in. While winning over the electorate is for domestic politics, convincing the international rating agencies that measures in the Budget are not detrimental to the fiscal consolidation the country intends to take and the growth prospects it foresees in the years ahead is also significant.