BANGKOK, Aug 19 (TNA) — The economic growth rate in the second quarter of this year made its slowest pace in nearly five years mainly on the China-United States trade war, according to the National Economic and Social Development Council.
NESDC secretary-general Thosaporn Sirisumphand announced the figure as the council revised downward its projection for the growth rate of the gross domestic product for this year from 3.6% to 3%.
According to him, the growth rate in the second quarter was the lowest since the last quarter of 2014. As the rate in the first quarter this year stood at 2.8%, the growth for the first half of 2019 was at 2.6%.
Exports dropped by 4.2% in the second quarter of this year as the China-US trade war slowed down the global economic growth rate to 3.2%. Other factors were drought, low farm prices, the weaker purchasing power of consumers and the slow growth of tourism-related income on the weak increase in tourist arrivals.
NESDC predicted exports would shrink by 1.2% this year instead of its earlier forecast of 2.2% growth.
The council believed the economy would pick up in the second half of this year on the government’s immediate economic stimulus measures, quick disbursement of government budgets, and investments in the government and private sectors.
If the economy expands by 3.4% in the second half of this year, the growth rate throughout 2019 can reach 3%, Mr Thosaporn said. (TNA)
