Morawiecki optimistic about Q4 deficit, despite low growth forecasts

Minister of Finance and Development Mateusz Morawiecki acknowledged on Thursday that GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2016 could be 2.5 percent, but maintained that improved tax collection and reliance on foreign investment would make up for the lower-than-expected growth. He was speaking to reporters in the Polish press. When he was asked about the potential risks of the relatively low growth projection, he said “I see the risks of course…(although) we see that this year's economic growth is lower than planned, the deficit is also lower. There are risks for the growth, but chances are on the side of tax collection.” Morawiecki said  that because of the “results of investment, production,” Poland will see a return to higher rates of GDP growth – rates above 3 percent – during the second quarter of 2017.