IMF forecasts 4.8 percent growth in Russia

WASHINGTON (Itar-Tass) - The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) forecasts a 4.8- percent economic growth in Russia this year which
will slow down to 4.5 percent of the GDP in 2012, an informed source told
Tass on Thursday quoting a new analytical report prepared for the spring
session of the Fund next week.
Earlier the IMF predicted Russian economic growth would be lower at
4.3 percent in 2011-2012.
Also on Thursday Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov told a
forum of emerging economies in Miami Russia hopes the GDP will grow in the
country 4.2 percent this year and will be close to 5 percent in future.
As for inflation, the IMF report estimated it at 9.3 percent in 2011
and 8 percent in 2012 which is higher than previous estimate of 6.9
percent.
Ivanov said growing food prices pushed inflation up to 9.6 percent,
but said the government would work to decrease it to 7.5-8 percent by the
end of the year.