THE World Bank slashed its 2016 global growth forecast yesterday to 2.4 percent from the 2.9 percent estimated in January due to stubbornly low commodity prices, sluggish demand in advanced economies, weak trade and diminishing capital flows.

    Commodity-exporting emerging market countries have struggled to adapt to lower prices for oil, metals and other commodities, accounting for half of the downward revision, the multilateral lender said in its latest Global Economic Prospects report.

    It expects these economies to grow at a meager 0.4 percent pace this year, a downward revision of 1.2 percentage points from the January outlook.

    Commodity-importing emerging countries are faring better, but the benefits of lower energy and other goods have been slow to materialize, the World Bank said. It now expects growth in these countries to hit 5.8 percent, down a 10th of a percentage point from the January forecasts.

    In the United States, a steep decline in energy sector investment and weaker exports will also shave eight 10ths of a percentage point from the World Bank’s 2016 forecast, bringing growth to 1.9 percent.

    The euro area saw a slight downgrade of its 2016 forecast to 1.6 percent, despite extraordinary monetary policy support and a boost from lower energy and commodity prices.

    “As advanced economies struggle to gain traction, most economies in South and East Asia are growing solidly, as are commodity-importing emerging economies around the world,” said World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu said.

    However, he cautioned that the rapid rise of private debt in several emerging and developing economies posed a risk to growth should nonperforming bank loans rise. (SD-Agencies)