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LIMA, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The Peruvian economy will continue its growth despite the corruption scandals surrounding a number of investment projects, Economy and Finances Minister Alfredo Thorne said here on Tuesday.
According to the minister, while some projects such as the Southern Peru Pipeline and the Interoceanic Highway have been impacted as they were executed by Odebrecht, the national economic fundamentals have not been affected.
"The Peruvian economy is solid and we guarantee we can turn any crisis into an opportunity," said Thorne at an economic forum in Lima.
The political class has been rocked by the news that Odebrecht had paid over 29 million U.S. dollars in bribes to government officials in the last three governments.
However, Thorne said that the current administration under President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is working to protect the interests of the country and to restore public confidence in the public investment.
Thorne told the audience of private entrepreneurs and public officials that the Ministry of Economy and Finances would seek to accelerate private investment and to improve the country's productivity levels.
According to government prediction, the economy will grow between four and five percent this year, up from 3.9 percent in 2016.
