“Although the scarcity of available short-term indicators prevents a clear conclusion of BiH economic growth, the growth of exports and industrial production, and the increase in construction works, indicates the cessation of some very important negative trends from last year. The nominal stagnation of import of goods and the increase in construction works indicates a possible stagnation of domestic demand, which in a nominal reduction of the foreign trade deficit of 9.3 percent indicates on the modest real economic growth in BiH in the first quarter, announced the Directorate.
Important progress was achieved in the area of coverage of goods import of 56,5 percent in the first quarter, which is significantly more than the same period in 2102 (51,7 percent). This is the result of the stagnation of goods import and the growth of exports of 9,7 percent in comparison to the same period of the previous year.
The increase in exports in the first quarter largely led to growth in manufacturing by 9,7 percent, which has a central role in the BIH economy.
Also, a significant contribution in industrial production and exports in the first quarter led to increase in electricity by 15,4 percent, after several problems with repairs and the hydrological situation in the previous year.
At the same time in the construction industry, after last year’s decline of 5 percent, recorded a modest growth in the first quarter, and this is a result of a strong growth in the FBiH by 21 percent and fall by 15,8 percent in the RS.
However, the coverage of imports has gradually decreased from month to month, so that in March it reached the lowest level of 53,3 percent, which is six percentage points lower than in January. The drop in coverage in March was the result of stagnation of exports, despite a drop in value of the import of goods by 13 percent.
(Source: Fena)