“The scenario could go either way: it’s possible that we’ll see a bigger growth. It all depends on the evolution in Germany and on the debt crisis (in the eurozone),” said Cristian Popa, deputy governor at the central bank.
However, the 1.5% growth forecast is unlikely to experience large movements in either direction, Popa added.
Romanian economy is estimated to post a meager recovery this year, fueled mainly by exports and industry, after a decline of 1.3% in 2010.
Gross capital formation is likely to give recovery an additional boost, Popa said.
The economy slipped into recession in the second half of 2008 and remained in negative territory until the last quarter of 2010, with a few exceptions when it posted minor quarterly growths.
Gross domestic product increased by 0.7% in the first quarter from the previous three months and by 1.7% compared with the same period of 2010.