17:01 | Lima, Jul. 28 (ANDINA).
Despite the difficult international environment, the Peruvian economy has maintained a six percent growth rate in the second quarter of the year, President Ollanta Humala announced in his address to the nation on Sunday.
The president opened his Independence Day speech to Congress with a summary of the economic achievements during the first two years of his five-year term.
"My government has managed the economy with greater responsibility and the indicators show that we have made the right choices over the past two years," said Humala, noting that Peru remains one of the world's fastest growing economies.
Since taking office in July 2011, the head of state said that 800,000 jobs have been created, while unemployment was reduced by seven percent.
Humala added that the country's economy is diversifying as non-traditional exports account for a third of total shipments which total more than US$ 11 billion while services exports reach US$ 5 billion despite the difficult international context.
The responsible management of the economy "will allow us to deal with the complex external situation," he continued, adding that the Andean country "has solid economic indicators to address the international crisis."
"Our high international reserves, low debt levels, higher purchasing power of a thriving middle class, and the remarkable entrepreneurial effort of the population are the main assets of this scenario," he stated.
(END) LVT/JPC/LOG/EEP
Published: 7/28/2013