MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil central bank raises 2020 growth forecast to 2.2%

The bank also increased its forecast for 2019 economic growth to 1.2% from 0.9% previously.

Brazil’s central bank on Thursday raised its 2020 gross domestic product growth forecast to 2.2% in its quarterly inflation report from 1.8% previously but cautioned it was conditional on continued progress on economic reforms.

The bank also increased its forecast for 2019 economic growth to 1.2% from 0.9% previously.

Brazil has struggled to recover from a deep recession despite government passage of a landmark overhaul of the pension system, with South America’s largest economy under pressure from broader regional instability.

“The current stage of the economic cycle calls for caution in monetary policy,” the inflation report said.

The bank held the inflation outlook stable with a forecast of 3.5% inflation for 2020 and 3.4% for 2021 based on the market outlook for interest rates and the foreign exchange.