DUSHANBE, January 30, Asia-Plus — in 2005, the external trade turnover of Tajikistan, including electric power and natural gas, amounted to 2.2385 billion U.S. dollars, which is 106.3 percent of the 2004 level or US$132.3 million more, Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) head Sharif Saidov remarked at a briefing in Dushanbe last Friday [January 27].
The trade balance was negative and amounted to US$421.1 million.
Exports of goods in 2005 amounted to US$908.7 million and imports of goods into the republic amounted to US$1.3298 billion.
According to Saidov, the trade turnover with the CIS states was US$1.042 billion, while the trade turnover with the far abroad countries amounted to US$1.1965 billion.
The trade turnover with the Russian Federation amounted to US$339.2631 million, with Uzbekistan – US$219.328 million, with Kazakhstan – US$187.9933 million, with the Netherlands – US$425.3864 million, with Turkey – US$165.2557 million, with China – US$98.0679 million, according to the CCI head.
During the news conference it was noted that last year, Tajikistan’s external debt increased by 9.3 percent compared to 2004 (as of January 1 2005 it was US$819.1 million) and as of January 1 2006 it has amounted to US$894.94 million.
Tajikistan’s debt to China has amounted to US$6 million, and loans provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have amounted to US$135.55 million, the Tajik CCI head told journalists.
Tajikistan’s debt to the international financial institutions and foreign countries has increased by US$75.84 million. The main creditors of Tajikistan are the international financial institutions, including the World Bank (WB), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). “A total amount of debts of Tajikistan to these banks amounts to US$507.52 million,” Sharif Saidov said.
