YEREVAN, June 22. /ARKA/. Gagik Minasyan, head of the National Assembly’s finance and budget committee, thinks that Armenia’s economic growth this year will be several times higher than that planned in the 2010 government budget.

“It is very difficult to forecast such figures, but I think and I’m even convinced that the economic growth will be a few times greater than planned,” he said at a news conference on Monday. In the 2010 government budget, GDP growth is planned at 1.2%.

National Statistical Service of Armenia says GDP grew 8.8% in Jan-May 2010, compared with the same period a year before.

Minasyan thinks if GDP continues growing, this year will be ended with higher-than-planned budget indicators.

He said Armenia has reached such high economic indicators thanks to a rally seen in the global economy and the results of the anti-crisis program implemented by Armenian government in 2009.
World Bank predicted four-to-five-percent GDP growth in Armenia, International Monetary Fund 4% and European Bank Reconstruction and Development 10% for 2010. -0---