By Reuters –
Economic growth in Liberia and Sierra Leone could decline by almost 3.5 percentage points as the world’s worst outbreak of Ebola has crippled mining, agriculture and services sectors in the two West African states, the IMF says. Growth in Guinea, where industrial mining has been unaffected so far, could fall by more than 1 percentage point, said IMF spokesman Bill Murray. he IMF said economic growth in Sierra Leona was likely to fall to 8 percent from 11.3 percent this year, Liberia’s growth might decline to 2.5 percent from 5.9 percent, and in Guinea, economic output could drop to 2.4 percent from 3.5 percent.Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are among the poorest countries in the region and the hardest hit by the worst Ebola epidemic on record, which has killed nearly 2,300 people.
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