Romania's Govt Econ Advisers Raise End-'08 Inflation, C/A Gap Fcasts

In its latest macroeconomic forecast posted on its website, the CNP also said it kept its projection for this year’s economic growth at 9.1% in real terms.

In 2007 Romania's economy grew by 6.0% and end-year consumer price inflation was 6.57%. The country's current account gap was 14% of GDP last year.

The team of economic experts that advise the government also kept its projection for the leu currency's average exchange rate at 3.67 lei per euro in 2008, compared to 3.34 per euro in 2007.

The CNP sees Romania’s economy growing by 6.0% in 2009 and the end-year inflation slowing to 4.8%. The current account gap is seen shrinking to 15.8% of GDP next year, while the leu's average exchange rate is projected at 3.60 lei per euro.

The CNP releases two macroeconomic forecasts a year, in the spring and in the autumn.