GDP growth is projected to gain momentum in 2017 and reach 2.9% in 2018, mainly driven by domestic demand. Private consumption will remain robust and public investment will pick up, sustained by EU funds. Despite a favourable business environment and good financing conditions, private investment will recover only slowly. Exports will strengthen backed by increasing external demand. However, maintaining price competitiveness will be challenging due to increasing labour costs.
Fiscal policy will ease slightly but remain tighter than the fiscal rule of a structural balanced budget. Remaining inefficiencies in insolvency procedures, barriers to SME lending and labour shortages all undermine capital spending and productivity growth, calling for reforming the legal system, promoting new forms of business financing and strengthening the supply of marketable skills further.
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NOTE: All signed articles in the OECD Observer express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of OECD member countries.
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