The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expects Greece’s economy to grow 4 percent next year, the fastest rate of all European Union countries, according to latest reports. It is expocted OECD’s semi-annual economic survey, due next month, will also revise up the 2002 growth forecast to 3.6 percent from 3.5 percent published in its last outlook released in April.
The OECD is currently drawing up its report which will be published on November 21. The newspaper, which cited no sources, said Greece was the only country for which the Paris-based organization revised up its 2002 growth forecasts. A draft bill of Greece’s 2003 budget estimates growth will up, to 4.1 percent next year from 3.8 percent in 2002, but Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis told Parliament recently that the government would revise down the 2003 forecast. He gave no further details. The ministry would not comment on the report.