The Gross Domestic Product grew 6% during the first semester of the year, according to Central Bank Governor Hector Valdez Albizu. He said that inflation in the first six months of the year was negative, at 0.62%. Average interest rates have dropped from 27% to 25% for loans, and 18 to 16% for savings. Valdez estimates that the DR will meet the forecast of the International Monetary Fund for a 7% increase in GDP at year’s end. The DR’s economy is the fastest growing in the world, according to the IMF. The sectors of the economy spurring the fast growth are construction, 27.3%; communications, 18.2%; electricity and water, 10%; commerce, 8.8%; and tourism, 4.9%.
