South Africa’s economic recovery plan must focus on at least three areas: protecting vulnerable populations, supporting the vulnerable sectors and external trade diversification.
Current housing stimulus measures aim to boost buyer demand and are too small to sustain a recovery. A second round of stimulus is likely to be needed, and it should go into social housing supply.
The current lockdown in Zimbabwe is going to provide a stern test for its informal economy, which is the country’s dominant economy and employs 90% of people.
State and local authorities are expected to get $150 billion in an attempt to alleviate economic fallout from the coronavirus. But the money will be thinly spread and could run out quickly.
Scott Morrison will urge big businesses to display “patriotism” as Australia grapples with the coronavirus crisis, which he warns could hit the economy harder than the global financial crisis.
With a relatively low debt to GDP ratio, Australia was never at risk of becoming Greece. But Germany, with negative interest rates and scant prospects for economic growth, is an open question.