HAMAD ALSAYYARI, GOVERNOR OF SAUDI ARABIAN MONETARY AGENCY (SAMA), HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE HERE TODAY TO HIGHLIGHT SAMA'S 42ND ANNUAL REPORT HE HAS PRESENTED TO THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ WITH ORIGINAL COPY TO CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, DEPUTY PREMIER, MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL YESTERDAY. HIGHLIGHTING THE ECONOMIC DATA STATED IN THE REPORT, ALSAYYARI SAID THE ECONOMIC GROWTH CONTINUED ITS HIGH RATES OF LAST YEAR. THE DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH OF PRICES FOR LAST YEAR REACHED 6.5. % AMONG WHICH THE NON-OIL SECTOR SCORED A 6.8 % GROWTH RATE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR 6.6 % AND THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR 7.2 %, HE SAID. ALSAYYARI SAID THE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS AT THE WORLD OIL MARKETS LED TO THE INCREASE OF GOVERNMENT REVENUES BY 44 PERCENT IN 2005 TO SR564 BILLION WHILE GOVERNMENT ACTUAL EXPENDITURE TOLLED TO SR345, AN INCREASE OF 21.5 %. HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S PUBLIC BUDGET SCORED A SURPLUS OF SR217 BILLION COMPARED WITH SR107 BILLION IN 2004. INFLATION RATE REMAINED STABLE AS THE INDEX OF COST OF LIVING FOR ALL POPULATION SLIGHTLY INCREASED IN 2005 BY LESS THAN 1.7 PERCENT COMPARED WITH 0.5 OR LESS IN 2004, THE GOVERNOR OF SAMA SAID, ADDING THAT THE INDEX REGISTERED AN INCREASE OF 2.1 % FOR THE FIRST EIGHTH MONTH OF 2006. --MORE
