The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised the projected growth of Dominican GDP for 2005 and 2006 to 4.5% in its “World Economic Perspectives” semester report, according to El Caribe. The increase in GDP is two points higher than the 2.5% originally forecast in its previous report last April. Inflation is projected at 3.7% this year, down from a forecasted 8.9%. However, the Fund forecasts that prices will increase again in 2006 and the consumer index will increase by 7.8%.
Commenting on the IMF’s revised key macroeconomic projections, Franco Uccelli of Bear Stearns says: “We believe that given the Dominican economy’s positive momentum, the IMF’s revised growth forecast for this year is more realistic than its original estimate. Moreover, with the economy expanding by 5.8% during the first half of the year, we also believe that there is a high probability that the country will outperform even the more bullish projection.”