Surprisingly strong economic growth may persist into March quarter, economist says

Surprisingly strong economic growth may persist into March quarter, economist says
Paul McBeth
By Paul McBeth March 17 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand's run of producing stronger-than-expected economic growth may extend into the first three months of this year as a robust tourism industry and an expanding service sector continue to deliver pleasant surprises.  Gross domestic product rose 0.9 percent in the three months ended Dec. 31, beating the Reserve Bank's forecast for growth of 0.7 percent in the quarter as the central bank underestimated the turnaround in the economy through the second half of last year. On an expenditure measur...