KUALA LUMPUR: The government will set the ball rolling tomorrow on gathering data to formulate a policy to help the economic and trade sectors cope with the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak, with the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) meeting associations for key industries such as manufacturing and services to obtain input on the impact on their businesses.
Its deputy secretary-general (industry) Norazman Ayob said Miti would take into account the industries’ suggestions on short to medium term steps that the government could take.
“We will then forward forward this to the finance and economic affairs ministries for them to draw up the stimulus package,” he told a press conference after a meeting between Miti and its agencies here today.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had earlier said his ministry would study the impact of the outbreak on the country before determining the size of the economic stimulus package for the affected sectors.
Norazman said all three ministries were also making their own studies on the matter, explaining that the measures to be introduced would, among others, address business costs and the dilemma of the components and imports crunch especially from China. – Feb 10, 2020, Bernama
