DUSHANBE, Trend, December 7. The retail trade and investment scene in Tajikistan could be on the upswing come the fourth quarter of 2024, as per the insights from the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), Trend reports.
The bank pointed out that retail sales have taken a leap of 13.3 percent year-on-year (YoY), while investments have also seen a healthy bump of 6 percent YoY from January through October.
"Trade and investment expansion may accelerate in the fourth quarter. The increase in retail trade may be attributed to the public sector wage increases that occurred mid-year. The increase in investments may be attributed to the proactive financing of capital construction projects via the state budget, with the government typically representing over 40 percent of total yearly investments," the EDB said.
The bank also observed that Tajikistan's imports abroad are growing faster than its exports. The country exported goods worth $1.5 billion from January through October, which is a 1.6 percent YoY increase. Exports of non-precious metals and textiles grew, while gold exports declined.
At the same time, strong domestic demand in the economy contributed to a 24.2 percent YoY increase in imports, reaching $5.8 billion from January through October. The trade deficit amounted to $4.2 billion, up from $3.1 billion the previous year.
The Eurasian Development Bank is an international development finance agency that invests in the economic development, commercial relations, and integration of Eurasian countries. The EDB was established in 2006 and is based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.