(Sa pagtaya ng World Bank) PH ECONOMY LALAGO NG 5.8% SA 2024

LALAGO ang gross domestic product (GDP) ng Pilipinas ng average na 5.8 percent sa 2024, ayon sa pagtaya ng World Bank.

Mas mataas ito sa  5.6 percent growth projection ng multilateral lender para sa 2023.

Kasabay nito, sinabi ng World Bank na bababa ang inflation sa bansa sa 2 hanggang 4 percent target ng pamahalaan sa susunod na taon makaraang bumagal pa ang inflation noong Nobyembre sa 4.1 percent.

“[The] Inflation reading of 4.1 percent is very good news. And we see that food inflation has fallen but also non-food (inflation). It’s important that both are falling and are closer now to the central bank’s 2-4 percent target,” wika ni World Bank Senior Economist Ralph Van Doorn.

Habang bumabagal ang inflation, naniniwala si Van Doorn na lalakas ang ekonomiya ng bansa dahil sa household consumption ngayong holiday season hanggang sa 2024.

“We expect that growth will be led by private consumption as inflation is expected to be lower and supported by remittances,” sabi pa niya.

Subalit binanggit din ni Van Doorn ang iba’t ibang panganib na maaaring muling mag-udyok sa mas mataas na food and energy prices tulad ng umiigting na geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions sa agricultural products, gayundin ang  El Niño at iba pang weather disturbances.

“So we still have to wait and see to what extent there could still be global shocks. El Niño could still lead to higher domestic food inflation and there still could be risks that increased food prices or maybe fuel prices could lead to second round effects domestically,” aniya.

Para mapagaan ang naturang mga panganib, hinimok ng World Bank ang Philippine government na ipagpatuloy ang istratehiya nito na paggamit kapwa ng monetary at non-monetary measures para mapataas ang  suplay ng imports, mapababa ang taripa sa key commodities at matiyak ang mas magandang supply at demand management para sa food items.