The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the gathering of data for key economic indicators widely watched by policymakers and investors, according to the International Monetary Fund.
In a blog post this week, the IMF said lockdown measures in many countries have hindered physical visits by staff of national statistical offices, as they could not physically go to stores to survey retail prices. Businesses that have to temporarily shut also may not have the resources to respond to questionnaires about production and investment plans, said the fund.
“Without reliable data, policymakers cannot assess how badly the pandemic is hurting people and the economy, nor can they properly monitor the recovery,” the blog post read.
