Page 67 - IBT October 2020
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‘V’ shaped                          begin recovering until the end
                                                                                       of 2020 or even mid 2021.
                                                   recovery is the                     There are a few reasons this
                                                   new ‘it’ word after                 could happen. First, if it takes
                                                                                       longer to get the surge in
                                                   US, President                       coronavirus cases under
                                                                                       control, it could delay when a
                                                   Trump used it in                    country can begin reopening
                                                   one of his                          their economy.
                                                                                       Secondly, if many businesses
                                                   speeches to badly                   end up going bankrupt during
                                                   describe the                        the period of economic
                                                                                       shutdown or are otherwise
                                                   post-covid                          unable to reopen, there will be
                                                                                       fewer jobs thus, creating more
                                                   scenario for the                    economic dislocation. Finally,
             V Shaped                                                                  consumers might not be ready
             Recovery: Steep                       US economy.                         to start spending when things
             Decline but Quick                                                         reopen, especially if they are
             Recovery                                                                  still scared to go out or they do
             A V-shaped recession and                                                  not get enough financial
                                                                                       assistance.
             subsequent economic recovery
             is all about speed and
             sharpness. As the below                                                   L-Shaped
             example shows [insert a                                                   Recovery: An
             V-shaped graph here],  there                                              Extended
             can be a sharp contraction in                                             Downturn
             the economy before it                                                     This is the worst-case scenario.
             experiences an equally sharp                                              It also goes by another name:
             recovery to pre-recession                                                 "depression". It is when an
             levels. This is treated as the                                            economy experiences a deep
             best-case scenario for any                                                recession and does not recover
             economy that enters a                                                     to its previous rate of growth
             recession as it quickly                                                   for several years, if ever. The
             recovers without any                                                      official recession may end
             complications.                                                            within a few quarters, but the
             ‘V’ shaped recovery is the new                                            recovery to a pre-recession level
             ‘it’ word after US, President               U-Shaped                      of economic output may take
             Trump used it in one of his                 Recovery: Long                years.
             speeches to badly describe the              Decline and Slow              If everything goes wrong in                              economies – the other being      people. The private sector needs to   a number of countries, remains a
             post-covid scenario for the US              Recovery                      dealing with the COVID-19                                Vietnam – to register a positive   have their own standard operating   concern for Bangladesh and
             economy. To quote the                                                     crisis, there is the potential for                       growth in 2020, despite a global   procedures to recover from the   countries around the world.
             president, “We are opening up               This is similar to a V-shaped   an L-shaped recession. This                            recession which is shaping up to   shocks.                        IMF is still expecting a pick-up in
             with a bang and we have been                recession but lasts longer. In   could happen if we cannot                             be historic in scale.            A forward-looking response to    activity toward the end of 2020
             taking about a ‘V’. A ‘V’ is                this scenario GDP (Gross      control coronavirus outbreaks,                           In fact, a V-shape recovery curve   COVID-19 is crucial if Bangladesh   and in 2021 for Bangladesh, with
             wonderful.”                                 Domestic Product) typically   which would result in repetition                         across the world is a possibility as   is to recover quickly from the   growth climbing back to around 6
             The President is indeed correct             shrinks for several quarters in a   of shutdowns and sluggish                          initially governments have taken   economic shock and setback of the   percent. Of course, that depends
             about ‘V’ shaped recovery                   row, and only crawls back to   growth, if not outright                                 up unprecedented monetary and    pandemic. A well designed        on the domestic economy starting
             being ‘wonderful’ since it                  the level of growth seen before   stagnation.                                          fiscal measures to face an       COVID-19 crisis response should   to recover. But there is so much
             assumes that all losses that                the downturn. In a U-shaped                                                            unprecedented crisis induced by   be designed to help Bangladesh   uncertainty and it is very difficult
             were made would be soon                     recession, it takes many                                                               the Covid-19 pandemic.           look beyond recovery, towards    to ascertain with precision the
             recovered. For the COVID-19                 months, if not years, for the   Can Bangladesh                                         But to go back to pre-Covid growth   2030, making choices and     recovery’s speed or extent.
             recession to be V-shaped,                   economy to recover. The long,   Score A ‘V’?                                           rate would require much more     managing complexity and          However with Bangladesh having
             there needs to be enough                    flat stretch of sideways growth   Edward Lee, Chief economist of                       than a large influx of cash.     uncertainty in four main areas:   such strong growth rates before
             coronavirus testing so that                 comprises the bottom of the U   Standard Chartered for ASEAN                           Effective and timely disposal of   governance and agency, social   the pandemic, IMF still expects
             people could safely go back to              shape.                        and South Asia, believes there                           fiscal commitments, by the       protection, green economy, and   that the country would quickly
             work without creating another               If COVID-19 causes a longer,   is still a possibility of                               government particularly smooth   digital disruption.              come back to previous growth
             surge in cases, and effectively             U-shaped recovery, that could   Bangladesh being one of only                           disbursement of fiscal stimulus,   But the possibility of a second   rates, if global economic
             treat existing cases.                       mean the economy wouldn’t     two ASEAN and South Asian                                will instill confidence in the   wave of infection, already seen in   conditions are supportive.

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