Honduran Government Lauds New IMF Findings on Country's Economy

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Government of Honduras applauded the International Monetary Fund for expressing optimism about the country's economy in a new statement of preliminary findings following an 11-day visit to Honduras by Fund representatives.

An official statement from Roberto García-Saltos, chief of the IMF delegation, said that he and his team were "encouraged by the continuing strengthening of the Honduran economy, including advances in the security situation."

President Juan Orlando Hernández responded by reiterating his commitment to build a better Honduras for all Hondurans.

"Honduras has come a long way under our administration. Today, we are beginning to see the tangible results of our efforts, as the international community recognizes that Honduras is an attractive country for domestic and foreign investment," Hernández said.

"We are working hard to become one of the safest countries in the Americas," said Hernández. "Our achievements are supported by facts and statistics as measured by independent observers like the IMF. That engenders trust among the Honduran people in their country, and among foreign individuals who visit and invest here."

The IMF delegation found that the Honduran economy grew 3.6 percent in 2016 and projected real GDP growth of 4 percent to 4.5 percent in the first quarter of 2017.

The IMF's findings are timely, as Honduran government officials will meet in Miami June 15-16 with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and other high-ranking U.S. and Mexican officials at the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America. Investors from the Americas, Europe and Asia, and the Inter-American Development Bank will also be in attendance to discuss investment opportunities in Honduras and neighboring countries in the Northern Triangle.

"The IMF's recent visit reaffirms that we are on the right path," Hernández said. "There is much left to do, but evaluations like the IMF's confirm that the policies that our administration has outlined are working."

To read the International Monetary Fund's official recap of its recent mission to Honduras, please visit: http://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2017/06/01/pr17203-imf-staff-concludes-visit-to-honduras.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Honduran officials, please contact Yael Wollstein at [email protected] or +1-202-471-4228 ext. 118.

SOURCE Republic of Honduras