IMF sees Jordan GDP growth at 3.5 pct in 2010

The International Monetary Fund forecasts Jordan's economic growth at 3.5 per cent this year but rising in 2011 as its economy recovers from the impact of the global downturn, an IMF official said. The economy expanded 2.3 per cent in 2009 as a whole, slowing from 7.8 per cent growth in 2008 and its weakest performance since an economic crisis in 1989 when the country was forced to seek help from the IMF.

The government and the IMF had in December forecast around 4 per cent growth in 2010 on the back of stronger capital inflows and private investments.