ECONOMIC GROWTH SEEN SLUGGISH IN BENELUX COUNTRIES
  Economic growth will remain sluggish in
  the Netherlands and Belgium next year and unemployment may
  rise, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
  forecast.
      Belgium's GDP growth may slow down to 1.5 pct this year and
  next year, bringing a rise in the number of jobless, the OECD
  said in its semi-annual survey. Belgian inflation could
  stabilise at 1.5 to 2.0 pct, while the current account surplus
  will probably remain large at about three pct of GDP.
      While the Belgian government has made progress in trimming
  its borrowing requirement, "it will probably be insufficient to
  check the self-sustaining nature of the deficit," the OECD said.
      In the Netherlands real GDP growth will also slip to 1.5
  pct this year and one pct in 1988, with Dutch exports becoming
  less competitive and imports rising. "Employment is forecast to
  decelerate as well, reflecting more sluggish growth in the
  private sector and budgetary cuts," the report said.
      Dutch consumer prices are set to fall by 0.5 pct in 1987
  and stay stable in 1988, partly as a result of declining
  domestic gas prices.
      Luxembourg's economy, by contrast, will see slightly faster
  growth in GDP this year as a result of an upward movement in
  wages. But real growth in consumption will ease next year.
  

