The government is putting the final touches on its economic growth projection for fiscal 2001, with the Economic Planning Agency eyeing a target of around 1.8 percent, which would mark a third straight year of growth, government sources said.

The projection is based on the nation's gross domestic product under a new U.N.-recommended calculation method known as SNA93, which is the standard used in most industrial nations.

The EPA forecast 1.5 percent growth under the old calculation for the current fiscal year, which ends March 31. In fiscal 1999, it targeted growth of 0.6 percent, but the actual GDP was 0.5 percent.