Covid-19 in Myanmar: Reorienting the Budget
Plans, priorities and public finances must be revised to ensure the Covid-19 virus is contained and the negative impacts of the virus are minimized. The government is responding but the impacts of the pandemic and containment measures are far reaching. Funding for response efforts may be found in cancelled government activities and additional borrowing. Government officials will need to use the full flexibility allowed by the financial management framework to respond quickly. The scale of changes to the budget will likely require an additional supplementary budget. How the government delivers support to people will determine the success or failure of containment measures. The government’s commitment to ensuring access to food and medicine should be applauded—though cash may be more efficient.
