Zvizdic: Bosnia records economic growth in 2018

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Bosnia’s GDP continues to grow at a rate above three percent and the country recorded an almost five percent increase in the physical volume of industrial production in the first six months of 2018, especially in the manufacturing sector, Bosnia’s Council of Ministers Chairman Denis Zvizdic said.

“A positive growth trend of direct foreign investments continued in the first quarter of 2018 which were 58 percent higher in 2017 than in 2016, which are the result of all the reforms and the significantly improved business climate in the country,” Zvizdic said. “Bosnia is becoming an ever more attractive foreign investment destination and therefore we must stop with the disintegration ideas and continue with the reintegration activities and improvement of the political and legal security because these processes will be key to increasing domestic and foreign investments.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina exported goods in the amount of BAM six billion in the first six months of 2018, which is 12 percent more than in the same period of 2017, with more than 70 percent of exports going to the countries of the European Union.  

Bosnia’s most important foreign trade partners are Germany, Austria, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey and the Netherlands. The country’s most important export markets are Germany, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Austria and Slovenia. During this period, Bosnia has achieved a remarkable export growth and an increase in economic activities with the Republic of Turkey, the Russian Federation and the Republic of China.

Bosnia’s export-import coverage in its trade with the EU was 69.3 percent and with the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) countries the coverage was 68.8 percent.

The country’s public debt was also decreased by BAM 750 million (around EUR 370 million)