IMF expects India s role to expand in Indo-Pacific region

United Nations April 21 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund expects India s role in the Indo-Pacific region s development to continue to expand because of its robust growth but it has to carry out more trade reforms Ken Kang the deputy director in IMF s Asia Pacific Department said on Friday.

"Given our robust growth forecast where we see India s growth rising from 7.4 per cent in 2017-18 to 7.8 per cent in 2019 we do expect India s role in the region to continue to expand " he said at a news conference in Washington.

"That being said India does have room to expand its export orientation and to reduce further trade and non-trade barriers " he added.

"The statutory tariff rate in India is relatively high at about 15 per cent and higher than those in the rest of the region " he added. "So there is room to do more on trade reform."

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS
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