The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean said on Friday it had raised the 2006 growth forecast for the region to 4.3 percent, from an earlier prediction of 4.1 percent.

Lower interest rates in some of the region's main economies, including Mexico and Brazil, had created a more optimistic scenario, Jose Luis Machinea, head of the UN commission, told reporters.

Mexico and Argentina, in particular, would grow more than the commission's forecast published in December, he said.

Meanwhile, Chile was also likely to put up a good performance and achieve an economic growth of 6 percent, up from the previously estimated 5.5 percent, said Machinea.

In 2005, the economy in the region as a whole grew by 4.3 percent, and many countries surpassed earlier estimates and paved the way for better performance this year, he added.

Source: Xinhua