RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian financial sector maintained its 1.35 percent GDP growth forecast for this year and raised its inflation prediction to 4.30 percent, said the Central Bank of Brazil on Monday.
According to the weekly industry magazine Focus, which gathers the opinions of financial experts, the financial sector chose to continue its 1.35 percent growth prediction, less than half the 3 percent growth forecast at the start of the year.
The Brazilian economy has been hampered by slow recuperation from the economic crisis of 2015 and 2016 and grew 1 percent in 2017.
In May, a national truck drivers' strike caused a spike in inflation rates and obstructed progress.
Meanwhile, experts raised their inflation projection from 4.28 percent one week ago to 4.30 percent on Monday.
Looking ahead, the financial sector raised the 2019 inflation rate projection from 4.18 percent to 4.20 percent, still below the government's forecast of 4.25 percent.
According to Focus, the basic interest rate will continue at its lowest ever level of 6.5 percent for the rest of the year, before rising to 8 percent in 2019.
