BUCHAREST (Romania), December 14 (SeeNews) – Romania’s interim Prime Minister Emil Boc expects the country’s economy to grow by up to 2.0% next year, local media reported on Sunday.
"Next year the economic growth may be between 0.5% and 2.0% of GDP [gross domestic product]," Mediafax (www.mediafax.ro) quoted Boc as telling TV broadcaster Realitatea TV.
Romania's economy shrank by 7.4% in the first nine months of 2009, mainly on weak performance of constructions and services. The country's GDP is expected to shrink by up to 8.0% this year, after expanding by a real 7.1% in 2008.
Both Romania's National Prognoses Commission and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is leading a 20 billion euro ($29.3 billion) aid package for the country, forecast an economic growth of 0.5% for next year.
($ = 0.6831 euro)