Economy of the Republic of Macedonia

Economic growth in Bulgaria continues to be below the expectations of the government.

With annual growth of only 3.6% in 2017, with expectations at around 4%, this year, real numbers continue to lag behind forecasts.

BELGRADE - Serbia's real GDP growth in Q4 2017 was 2.5 pct up compared to the same period of the previous year, the national statistical office said in a statement on Wednesday.

"According to seasonally-adjusted GDP data, gross domestic product increased by 0.6 pct in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to the previous quarter," it said.

As private investment and consumption appear to have slowed down in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt, high frequency indicators suggest real GDP growth may fall into negative territory in Turkey in the third quarter, which will bring full-year GDP growth in 2016 to 3.1 percent, compared to 3.5 percent envisaged earlier, said the World Bank in a note on Nov. 25. 

Serbia's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015, relative to the same quarter of 2014.

This is according to a preliminary estimate of the Statistical Office.

By the end of this year, Macedonia will borrow another ?700 million, ignoring European Commission advice contained in the recent annual progress report to stop adding to the already sizeable debt.

Days before the Commission said it was worried by Macedonia's growing debt, the government said it would issue more eurobonds worth ?500 million to support the budgets this and next year.

The unemployment rate in Serbia in the second quarter of 2015 amounted to 17.9 percent, dropping by 1.3 percentage points when compared to the previous quarter.

This data was published by the Statistical Office of Serbia.

The Bulgarian economy is expected to grow moderately this and next year, according to projections of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In 2015 the IMF says GDP will be up 1.2%, and in 2016 gross output will increase by 1.5 percent. This is less compared to last year, when growth was at 1.7%.

Skopje asks Russia to cut customs rates

SKOPJE -- Macedonia has asked Russia to lower its customs rates for agriculture and food industry products that Macedonia exports to that country.

BEOGRAD - The Third Meeting of China and CEECs is expected to create possibilities for further successful cooperation among all the countries from this region, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said in an exclusive opinion piece for Tanjug ahead of the Third Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European countries in Belgrade, which Tanjug publishes in full.

Industrial output in Macedonia in October rose by 7.5 per cent in comparison with the same period last year, data from the State Statistical Office showed.

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