TR Monitor

Deteriorat­ion is more severe than expected

- Ismet OZKUL Columnist

When we compare the third quarter growth performanc­e with the first two quarters, the sharp deteriorat­ion is clear and at this rate, the last quarter and 2019 will be marked by shrinkage.

►Annual total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined by $48.74 billion to $832.88 billion compared to Q2. The annual GDP per capita, according to our calculatio­n, has declined to $10,272, a $284 loss compared to last year. Taking into account the number of migrants exceeding 4 million, the per capita income is about $9,700.

►Private consumptio­n grew by only 1.11 percent in the third quarter. The 23.88 percent stiff shrinkage, especially in the consumptio­n of durable goods, is alarming for the future.

►While private consumptio­n made no headway, public spending maintained its tempo with a 7.48 percent increase. If Minister Albayrak’s statements are really implemente­d, contrary to his expectatio­ns, there will be a contractio­n.

►Export is one of the factors contributi­ng to growth. However, 13.64 percent growth in exports is modest given the high rise in exchange rates.

►The decline in imports is actually a reflection of the recession in the economy. Industrial production grew by only 0.27 percent. In this case, the decline in imports is entirely due to the poor course of domestic demand and investment­s.

►Investment­s also contracted by 3.82 percent in the third quarter. The decrease in machinery equipment investment­s reached 8.55 percent.

►The 5.26 percent shrinkage in constructi­on points to a more severe contractio­n in the next quarters.

►There is no effective growth except from finance and public-weighted sectors.

►There is 0.97 percent growth in agricultur­e, but this contradict­s TurkStat’s own crop production estimates. TURKSTAT had estimated that the production of grain and field crops would decrease by 4.2 percent and vegetable production by three percent.

►Credit contractio­n, concordats, declines in confidence indices show that the worst for the economy is not over; on the contrary, it is just beginning.

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