The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) said Monday that it has hiked up its growth forecasts for
Italy.
The fund said it expects Italian GDP to increase by 1.3% this
year, 0.5 of a percentage point more than it predicted in April.
It sees GDP growth of 1% in 2018, 0.2 of a point more than
the previous forecast.
Premier Paolo Gentiloni expressed satisfaction.
"A country that improves on the forecasts can have a more
significant and important budget law and lowering of its debt,"
Gentiloni said in Milan.
"This also brings confidence and conviction about our
country's possibilities".
The IMF also revised up its growth forecasts for the eurozone
as a whole, by 0.2 of a point to 1.9% this year and by 0.1 to
1.7% in 2018.
"We are inside a positive period for the eurozone but we must
also take note of an interesting thing," Gentiloni said.
"While we are talking of a step up for other countries, there
are a few steps more in the Italian case".
It said the world economy will grow 1% in 2018, but cut its
GDP forecasts for the United States for both this year and next.
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