Take ‘offensive’ strategies to boost economy, solon tells national government

HOUSE Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Salceda on Wednesday urged the national government to take “offensive” strategies to boost economic confidence in the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The lawmaker-economist from Albay released a 34-point manifesto on how to help President Duterte defeat Covid-19 and rescue the economy in preparation for the 5th State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.

According to Salceda, the government should be on the attack and not just the defensive position when it comes to economic opportunities.

“We must now be equally focused on economic revitalization,” said Salceda, adding that offensive actions mean creating and attracting new industries and investments, new jobs and opportunities, new streams of revenue, and new approaches to boosting market confidence.

“These times call for courage. We cannot defeat this virus, nor the slump it has created in the economy, by hiding. We have done what was necessary to keep this pandemic from growing exponentially. Despite the limits of our own means, epidemiological models suggest we may have prevented as much as 3.5 million infections by taking the necessary lockdown measures. Now, it is time to fight the economic downturn,” Salceda said.

He also warned that taking a purely defensive position to this virus and its economic impacts may not be the best approach to benefit the economy.

“We cannot defeat the economic recession by trying to stop change. It will happen,” he said.