ZCZC
BCN-20
BELARUS-BANKING-GDP
EDB improves outlook for Belarus’ GDP growth forecast to 3.7 pct in 2018
MINSK, June 9, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB)
improved the outlook for the growth of the Belarusian economy in 2018 and
increased its forecast from 2.6 percent to 3.7 percent, bank’s quarterly
Macroeconomic Review said Friday.
The EDB forecasts Belarus’ GDP growth at 3.7 percent in 2018, which is 1.1
percent higher than the previous forecast, it said.
The bank links the increase in its forecast with a faster than expected
recovery of Belarus’ economy in the first quarter of 2018.
The bank’s experts predict that in 2018 inflation in Belarus will slightly
accelerate, but its level will remain within the forecasted 6 percent. They
believe that the dynamics of inflation will be affected by the delayed effect
of wage growth and expansion of lending amid persisting high inflation
expectations.
However, the EDB analysts predict that Belarus’ GDP growth will slow down
to 1.9 percent in 2019, and 2 percent in 2020.
BSS/AFP/HR/1410