2008 GDP was by 7.2% higher compared with 2007, National Bureau of Statistics

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year was 62.840 billion lei in nominal terms (current market prices), up 7.2% from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. A communiqué issued by the Bureau says that the gross value added in the manufacturing sector rose by 14.7% on 2007 and contributed to a 3.6% rise in the GDP. The growth stemmed from the 35.2% increase in the gross value added in agriculture, compared with a year before. The gross value added in industry increased by 0.3%, in the service sector – by 3.8%, contributing to a 2.3% growth in the GDP. The volume of taxes on product and import exceeded the last year’s volume by 9.2%, contributing 18.8% to the formation of the GDP. The GDP growth by spending components stemmed mainly from the 4.6% rise in final consumption. The gross fixed capital formation increased by 1.8%, contributing 34.1% to the formation of the Gross Domestic Product. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Government, Prime Minister Zinaida Grecianii said that the results achieved last year inspire hope. “It will be hard to exceed the growth obtained in 2008 given that the Moldovan economy is connected with the world economy and the consequences of the world financial crises are more seriously felt. Yet, the last year’s results make us hope that this year the economy will also grow, even if the decline is certain sectors is imminent,” the Premier said. Earlier, the Government said that the economic growth for 2009 is projected to be 3.5 – 4%.