OECD CLAIMS WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK IS BRIGHTENING

The outlook for the world's economy is improving despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

After the world economy collapsed during the onset of the pandemic last year, in 2021 it is forecast to grow by 5.6 percent, the organization said. That is an increase of 1.4 percentage points compared to the last forecast in December.

Next year, the OECD expects the world economy to grow by 4 percent, it said during the presentation of its report. Last year, the world economy contracted by 3.4 percent, less than previously thought, said the OECD, an intergovernmental organization of developed economies that focuses on economic policy.

Chief economist Laurence Boone said the top priority should now be to produce coronavirus vaccines, as delays or further coronavirus mutations that defied treatment could weaken the expected recovery. Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 3 percent while France is forecast to grow by 5.9 percent this year.

WEEKLY FEATURE : BONNER DYTOC SHOWS THE WAY IN STOCK PLAY