WARSAW, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Polish Finance Minister Teresa Czerwinska said during a business forum on Thursday that Poland's GDP growth rate this year would be around 4 percent, a decrease compared to 5.2 percent in 2018.

The minister said the slower growth rate was explained by the phase in the economic cycle the Polish economy is in as well as by external factors including Brexit.

Czerwinska said responsible for the country's economic growth is primarily consumption, stimulated by governmental programs such as "500+", a subsidy for families with two or more children.

Adam Glapinski, governor of the National Bank of Poland who was also present at the forum, expressed a similar view, also predicting a growth rate of 4 percent.

Glapinski said the growth rate "is still excellent," adding it was stable with inflation at a practically insignificant level.