BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

21/11/2006

Belarus ups GDP growth forecast to 9.6% for 2006

MINSK. Nov 21 (Interfax) - The Belarussian government has submitted to President Alexander Lukashenko an adjusted economic development forecast for 2006 and a draft social and economic development and budget forecast for 2007, a source in the presidential press service told Interfax.

The government has proposed increasing forecast GDP growth to 9.6% from 9.2% for 2006 and to 8%-9% for 2007.

The forecast for industrial production growth was increased to 12% from 10.7% for 2006 and to 7.5%-8.5% for 2007.

Fixed capital investment should grow 23% in 2006 from an earlier planned 20%. Investment should grow 14.5%-17% in 2007.

The Belarussian government also increased the foreign trade growth forecast to 30.3% for 2006 from 23.6%. The draft forecast for 2007 puts the growth at 10.8%-12%.

Labor productivity will grow 7%-8.6% in 2007 from the level in 2006, the number of jobs in the economy should employ 4.375 million-4.448 million people and the foreign trade surplus should stand at $500 million-$600 million.

Source:

http://www.interfax.com/3/214961/news.aspx