The economy expanded by 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 6.2 per cent growth in the corresponding quarter of 2022. The growth was largely supported by a rebound in agricultural activities, which grew by 5.8 per cent owing to sufficient rainfall experienced during the quarter under review. In addition, the performance was also on account of significant growths in Accommodation and Food Service (21.5%), Information and Communication Technology (8.7%); Transportation and Storage (6.2%); Financial and Insurance (5.8%) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (5.7%)