In 2014, the pace is expected to pick up to 7.5 percent as recovery gains traction in Europe and the United States, the ADB said in its update report.
The bank's Asian Development Outlook Update 2013 report showed exports of garments and footwear to the US and the European Union expanded by 11.3 percent year-on-year to 2.3 billion USD, and exports of milled rice doubled to 122 million USD in the first half of 2013.
Approvals for construction projects went up sharply to 1.9 billion USD during the same period, whereas credit for the construction sector grew by 46 percent in June from a year earlier, it added.
Tourist arrivals reached 2.1 million in the first six months, up by 19 percent from the previous year. In 2013, the service sector as a whole is projected to grow by 7 percent and agricultural output by about 4 percent, the bank said.
The report noted that growth in credit to the private sector eased to 29 percent in June, down from 34.1 percent in 2012.
The year-average inflation forecast for 2013 is trimmed from the 3 percent projected in April to 2.5 percent, reflecting an unexpectedly low inflation of 1.8 percent between January and June, according to the report.-VNA
