KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — The government’s measures to tackle the economic crisis have increasingly borne fruit, as evidenced by the 3.1 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth recorded in 2021, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said the reopening of nearly all economic and social sectors, along with high domestic and foreign demand, would continue to drive growth.
The government, he further said, would ensure the economic growth forecast of between 5.5 per cent and 6.5 per cent for 2022 was achieved.
“Of utmost importance is that this economic growth is enjoyed by people from all walks of life through increased sources of income and curbs against rising inflation.
“God willing, with careful planning and the cooperation from the entire Malaysian Family, this goal will be achieved,” he posted on his Facebook page today.
Yesterday, the Statistics Department and Bank Negara Malaysia announced that the country’s GDP for 2021 expanded 3.1 per cent, in line with the government’s projection of between three and four per cent.
This marked an improvement over the 2020 performance, when the GDP contracted 5.6 per cent.
The graphic accompanying the prime minister’s post, titled “Malaysian GDP continues to advance towards recovery”, displays the GDP growth figures for 2021 (3.1 per cent) and the fourth quarter of 2021 (3.6 per cent).
Other indicators shown are the lower unemployment rate of 4.2 per cent in December 2021 as well as the foreign direct investment figure of over RM50 billion and higher total external trade surpassing RM2 trillion for 2021.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, in the 84th Implementation and Coordination Unit Between National Agencies (LAKSANA) report released earlier today, said the government was maintaining the country’s 2022 economic growth forecast in the range of 5.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent.
He noted that the forecast was also in line with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank projections of 5.7 per cent and 5.8 per cent, respectively.
