(ANSA-AP) - BERLIN, JAN 25 - There was mounting concern about
the German economy Friday after a key indicator showed business
confidence fall ing and there were reports the government is
lowering its growth forecasts for this year. The Ifo Institute
said its business confidence index dropped to 99.1 points in
January, from 101.0 points in December.
Managers' view of both their current circumstances and their
pr ospects for the next six months also fell, the Ifo Institute
sa id. The index is based on responses from some 9,000 firms in
manufacturing, services, trade and construction Separately,
business daily Handelsblatt reported that the government is
lowering its growth forecast for the current year from 1.8
percent to 1 percent amid a weakening global economy and the
concerns over delays in finalizing Britain's orderly exit from
the European Union. The newspaper reported that the government
expects growth to rise again to 1.6 percent in 2020.
Preliminary figures for 2018 show the German economy grew 1.5
percent, down from 2.2 percent in each of the previous two
years. Germany's economy has enjoyed growth since 2010.
(ANSA-AP).
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