Economy

Following congressional approval of a landmark peace agreement and a late-2016 tax reform package, 2017 looks to be a year of significant promise for the Colombian economy. Investment and infrastructure development are expected to be the key drivers of domestic demand, and the trade balance should continue to improve. Although growth has slowed as a result of the oil price shock, the Colombian economy has been resilient. With major developments in the pipeline, a historical peace agreement renewing optimism, as well as the recovery of non-oil exports and oil prices, the economy is expected to pick up in 2017 and accelerate in the years to come. This chapter includes interviews with Juan José Echavarría, Governer of the Banco de la República; Mauricio Cárdenas, Minister of Finance and Public Credit; Rosario Córdoba Garcés, President, Private Council for Competitiveness; Bruce Mac Master, President, National Business Association of Colombia; and Gerardo Corrochano, Colombia Country Director, World Bank.