Greek central banker Yannis Stournaras appeared more optimistic over the country’s economic performance in 2019, reportedly telling the Belgian Business Club (BBC) on Thursday that GDP growth could, after all, reach 3 percent in the current quarter, according to naftemporiki.gr.
In citing a recovery of tax revenues over the summer, the Bank of Greece (BoG) governor also altered his previous prediction over the closely watched fiscal target of an annual 3.5 percent budget surplus (as a percentage of GDP).
Stournaras’ brighter forecasts come nearly two months to the day since the July 7 election resulted in a victory for center-right New Democracy (ND) party and a majority government formed by pro-reform and pro-business ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
A previous finance minister before 2015, Stournaras had an acrimonious relationship with the previous Tsipras government.
Finally, he said it was positive that the new government reiterated its commitment to European creditors to meet previously agreed-to fiscal targets, adding that a continued decrease in the yield of sovereign bonds will make a reduction in primary budget surplus goals after 2022 a more achievable prospect.
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