The president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Luis Alberto Moreno, said Thursday that no country has shown a similar growth rate to that of Peru over the last five years, Andina reports. “The expansion of Peru’s gross domestic product (GDP) during the last five years has been very important. What Peru has done in that period is really good; I don’t think there is another country with a similar growth rate,” said Moreno. While the IDB does not make economic growth projections, Moreno agreed with the latest World Bank forecasts that predict 6.9 percent growth of GDP in Peru for this year, the highest growth rate in South America. The visiting IDB president will meet with president-elect Ollanta Humala on Friday to discuss topics such as Peru’s economic expansion and its perspectives. “We had a telephone conversation with Humala when he visited us in Washington. Now we are here waiting to support and look for the best interests of Peru and every Peruvian,” said Moreno after meeting Thursday with Peruvian president Alan García at the Government Palace in Lima. During the past five years, the IDB has financed water supply and sanitation projects and has also supported the development of the private sector. Moreno highlighted that the participation and collaboration of the IDB in the approval of such loans have been focused on key social issues in Peru, which benefit the population. A symbolic support has been the financing of the Camisea project. “We want to express that the IDB’s interest has always been to keep working for Peru," Moreno said. Moreno stressed Peru’s significant reduction of poverty, which in 2006 it stood at nearly 48 percent and stands at some 31 percent at present. Moreno also spoke about his meeting Friday with Humala saying, "We’ll analyze a number of actions, which I’ll be supporting, especially topics related to social policies," which he talked about a lot during his campaign.

2011-06-18 14:17:45