| JRL HOME | SUPPORT | SUBSCRIBE | RESEARCH & ANALYTICAL SUPPLEMENT | |
Old Saint Basil's Cathedral in MoscowJohnson's Russia List title and scenes of Saint Petersburg
Excerpts from the JRL E-Mail Community :: Founded and Edited by David Johnson

#4 - JRL 8341 - JRL Home
Russia's GDP growth could top official forecast of 6.9% - Dvorkovich

MOSCOW. Aug 24 (Interfax) - Chief of Russia's presidential expert board Arkady Dvorkovich has said GDP growth in Russia this year could top the government's predicted 6.9%.

"The economy could grow more than 6.9% this year, less than 6.9% is unlikely. The dynamic is developing such that topping this indicator is likely," Dvorkovich said at a Tuesday briefing.

High rates of investment growth will ensure GDP growth, he said. In particular, investment in fixed assets increased roughly 12% in the fist half.

Dvorkovich said he thinks the government's GDP growth forecast of 6.3% for 2005 is also achievable. These are official predictions that are built into the budget, he said, and they do not mean the government need not seek out various stimuli, mechanisms and policy for promoting increased economic growth.