IMF: Yemen budget deficit to decline in 2014

The International Monetary Fund has expected Yemen’s government budget deficit will decline in 2014 to 6.7 percent, compared with 7.1 percent in 2013, and next year will be 6.6 percent.According to the IMF's latest projections, Yemen’s economic growth is projected to strengthen from 4.4 percent in 2013 to 5.1 percent this year, while in 2015 it will be 4.4 percent.It is expected that Yemen will record a trade deficit of 1.5 percent in 2014, but it will grow to 2.7 percent in 2015.Speaking to Saba, Director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Department Masood Ahmed said that the Yemeni government should take a number of measures and economic reforms to stimulate investment sector in the country, describing it as very low.