Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) decreased its forecast for economic growth in South-East Europe (SEE) for 2015, and the forecasts were decreased the most for Serbia and Bulgaria, the European creditor published on 19 January. The forecasts for the growth of Montenegro and Macedonia were increased, while for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo they remained at their September levels. EBRD notes that most of the countries in the region, being net importers of crude oil and gas, will have benefits due to the reduced prices of fuels in the global markets, a fact certainly not in prospect for Russia, whose GDP will drop by nearly 5%. For the entire region it operates in, EBRD forecasts a small decline in GDP in 2015.

The economic hardships of Serbia in 2014, as a consequence of the flooding, will most likely continue, and EBRD now expects an increase of merely 0.5% for Serbia in 2015, compared to the 2% expected in September, as the latest economic forecasts show.

EBRD notes that the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, expected in the spring, will help return fiscal discipline and investor trust to Serbia. However, the IMF arrangement will be followed by austerity measures that will depreciate domestic demand in the short term, the new EBRD report states.

Source: EurActiv.rs