MUSCAT: The Sultanate’s GDP grew by 15.3 per cent in current prices during the third quarter of 2018, of which 3.4 per cent is from non-oil activities. The growth of the GDP was driven by increase in oil activities, including crude oil and natural gas. The Supreme Council for Planning (SCP), which held its first meeting of the year under the chairmanship of Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Deputy Chairman of the SCP, reviewed Oman’s Economic Performance Report. The report said that there is a minor increase in inflation, and highlighted the rise in non-oil exports during the period by 25 per cent at the end of September 2018. The meeting also reviewed the progress of development projects within the Ninth Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2020), including projects that provide basic services to citizens, promote economic growth, increase government investment and provide job opportunities. The meeting discussed the status of other major projects and ways to address the challenges facing some of them. The Council also discussed the proposal of the general framework and the measures taken to prepare the Sultanate’s first voluntary national report on the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which will be presented to the UN General Assembly this year.