ATHENS: Greek economy is expected to grow by 2.5 percent this year and in 2019, the European Commission said in its economic outlook estimates for the 2017-2018 period, released on Wednesday. The report said economic recovery was expected to strengthen in the coming years and to support an increase in employment. However, it noted that “a steady commitment for structural reforms is of vital importance for the continuation of growth”. It is the first time since 2008 that the Greek economy is growing for three successive quarters,” the Commission report read, noting that real GDP in Greece grew by 0.3 percent in the third quarter of 2017, for an annual growth rate of 1.1 percent for the first three quarters of 2017. The Commission estimates that net exports were the driving force of recovery in the second and third quarter of 2017, as Greece has begun benefiting from a wider recovery in Europe and an improvement in its competitiveness, achieved through structural reforms. The report noted that an increase in private consumption was generally stable in the first three quarters of 2017, slightly reducing a savings gap. However, investments fell, combined “with the adverse consequences of a delay in completing a second review of the ESM programme”. Real GDP is projected to grow by 2.5 percent in 2018 and 2019. A steady improvement in the labor market and of consumer climate is expected to contribute to an increase in private consumption. The European Commission estimates that the business climate in Greece will improve further in 2018, leading to a moderate growth of investments, while financial conditions are expected to gradually return to normality. A strong external demand is expected to offer a boost to net exports, which are expected to become a significant growth tool in 2018 and to support the re-orientation of the economy towards the commerce sector,” the report claimed. The labor market continues improving, with the unemployment rate falling to 20.7 percent of the workforce in October 2017, down 2.7 percentage points from the end of 2016
Fitch officials project bright future for Greece
Senior Fitch Ratings officials have expressed their optimism in comments to Kathimerini about Greece’s fundamentals in 2020, just a few...
