HELSINKI (MNI) – The external environment is highly uncertain and
risks to the Finnish growth outlook are thus to the downside, European
Central Bank Governing Council member and Bank of Finland Governor Erkki
Liikanen said Thursday.
Liikanen, presenting the latest issue of the Bank of Finland
journal with Finnish GDP growth projections of 1.5% in 2012, 1.2% in
2013 and 1.6% in 2014, said, “The forecast assumes that the global
economy and international trade will grow more quickly towards the end
of the current year. There is, however, a great deal of uncertainty over
developments in Finland’s external environment, due to the debt crisis.
The downside risks to the forecast are, therefore, substantial.”
He called for economic policies that would reduce general
government and household deficits while improving potential growth.
Frankfurt bureau tel.: +49-69-720142. Email: dbarwick@marketnews.com
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