Hockey must have better growth plan: Bowen

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says Joe Hockey must come up with a better plan for economic growth after the International Monetary Fund questioned the treasurer's budget forecasts.

"Simply to rely on last quarter's figures and say they were terrific is simply not an accurate reflection of the situation," Mr Bowen told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

In its annual appraisal of Australia, the IMF believes economic growth might not be as rosy as forecast in the budget and expressed concern about the nation's growth prospects.