BRIEFS. economy

Monthly index shows growth in several sectors

The monthly index of economic activity showed an increase of 10.42 percent at the close of the second month of 2008, an increase of 9.04 compared to the same period in 2007, the Contraloría General de la República reported yesterday.Activity in the construction, mining and quarrying, hotel and restaurant, trade, transport, storage, communications and real estate sectors posted the highest growth.

Residential and non-residential construction, along with a few large civil engineering projects, are driving the growth in mining, which provides the raw materials needed for construction.