BOE's Haldane says UK recovering 'faster than anyone expected'

[LONDON] Britain is recovering faster than anyone had expected from the economic impact of Covid-19, but businesses need better incentives and access to finance to invest in technology, Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said.

"UK GDP (gross domestic product) had, by July, recovered around half of its Covid-related losses, rebounding further and faster than anyone expected," Mr Haldane said in an article for the Mail on Sunday newspaper written jointly with the former chairman of John Lewis Partnership, Charlie Mayfield.

Britain's central bank said in a policy statement on Thursday the economy was recovering faster than it had forecast in August, though prior to that several policymakers had struck a more cautious tone than Mr Haldane.

Mr Haldane said he was writing in his capacity as chairman of a government commission to boost economic productivity.

REUTERS