Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said that Colombia is on the “right track” due to growth in the industrial and retail sectors, according to a press release on the presidency’s website.
Data from the National Statistics Bureau shows that Colombia has seen 6.2% growth in the industrial sector and 12.3% growth in retail sales during January 2011 as compared to the same month the previous year.
“These are encouraging figures and these figures have been reinforced by something that is happening at an international level,” the Colombian president said, referring to the importance of the investment grade given by Standard & Poor’s.
The head of state said that another positive indicator for the country has been the reduction in unemployment over the past seven months, during which 800,000 jobs have been created. The government’s goal is to continue to lower the unemployment rate until it is in the single digits, according to Santos.
He also reiterated the government’s aims for 350,000 families living in extreme poverty to be put though an employment generation program.
