London-based think tank Capital Economics warned increased political uncertainty in the Philippines could dent economic growth over the next five years. “The upshot is that despite the government’s ambitious infrastructure plans, increased political uncertainty is likely to drag heavily on investment. “Whereas both the consensus and the IMF are expecting growth over the next five years of around 6.5 [percent] to 7 percent, we think growth is likely to be closer to 6 percent,” it said. Capital Economics said the political stability under the previous Aquino administration was a key factor behind the surge in investment growth in the past few years. Since 2010, investment growth in the Philippines averaged above 10 percent, representing a marked improvement in previous decades.

Source: The Standard October 31, 2017 12:11 UTC