Govt committed to ensuring nation's growth remains steady - Najib

In the latest entry on his blog, NajibRazak.com, entitled "Cadangan Hala Tuju Ekonomi Negara" (Proposed Economic Direction for the Nation), he said, the government's policies would be driven by the inclusivity principles, where the less fortunate would continue to receive assistance.

"This is important to ensure that we achieve our vision of becoming among the top 20 countries by 2050, InsyaAllah (God Willing)," he said after his discussion with 28 economic and financial experts on the nation's economic direction in achieving the 2050 National Transformation (TN2050) yesterday.

On the discussion, he said, most of the experts agreed that the focus should be on human capital development and increasing productivity to ensure the nation's readiness for TN2050.

Najib said he was pleased at the positive response to the implementation of the Digital-Free Trade Zone, adding that the suggestion for the government to focus on the provision of digital workforce to ensure that the country was truly ready to become a digital economic hub was well-received.

There were also suggestions for the government to be more aggressive in assisting start-up businesses, he said.

"With regards to the long-term plans, I am intrigued by the suggestion for us to take advantage of our strategic location by becoming a strong economic platform for the emerging markets.

"The government has also been urged to be more open in bringing in foreign experts to ensure that there are no gaps between demand and supply," he said.

Najib had also took note of the suggestions from Dr Zulkiply Omar from the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research and Datuk Seri K. Govindan from RAM Holdings Bhd on the agricultural sector towards ensuring sustainable food supplies in the long run.

There were also suggestions that more exhibitions be held to encourage the retail sector's participation in the capital market and the usage of "robo-advisors" in financial management, he said.