Slovakia's gross domestic product should grow in 2002 by a rate of 3.8%, the central bank said July 3. The bank expects growth of 2.8 to 3.2% this year.
It also said that the country's gross indebtedness should gradually rise over the next five years after reaching $11.1 billion at the end of 2001. This will be driven by corporate borrowing.
Figures showed that the deficit in the current account of the balance of payments hit 17.7 billion Slovak crowns ($354 million) over the first four months of this year, 17 billion more than the same period last year.