Uns e outros
George Osborne, esta Quarta-feira, antes de ir para a Câmara dos Comuns/Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images
Ao contrário da penosa prestação de uns, há outros que, apesar de tudo, ainda lá vão apresentando alguns dados macroeconómicos minimamente animadores. Eis o que o chanceler britânico, George Osborne, apresentou hoje na Câmara dos Comuns a propósito da discussão do Orçamento de Estado 2013.
* The GDP growth in 2014 is forecast to be 1.8%, then 2.3% in 2015, 2.7% in 2016 and 2.8% in 2017, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). In the short-term it predicts the UK will avoid a second quarter of negative growth and a triple-dip recession.
* The deficit has been cut by a third from 11.2% of GDP in 2009/10 to a predicted 7.4% this year. It is expected to fall to 6.8% next year, 5.9% in 2014/15, then 5%, 3.4% and 2.2% by 2017/18.
* The OBR forecasts higher employment, with 600,000 more jobs expected in 2013 than this time last year.
* Borrowing predicted to fall from £108 billion next year to £97 billion in 2014/15, then £87 billion, £61 billion and £42 billion in following years. Meanwhile, the proportion of national income spent by the state has fallen from 47.4% three years ago to 43.6% today and is on course to reach 40.5% by the end of the period.
* Public sector net debt to be 75.9% of GDP this year then 79.2%, 82.6%, 85.1%, 85.6% in following years before falling to 84.8% in 2017/18.
* The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee keeps 2% inflation target.