26 Oct 2009 18:23

Tajikistan's economy grows 2.7%, prices 4.5% in 9 mths

DUSHANBE. Oct 26 (Interfax) - Tajikistan's GDP grew 2.7% year-on-year in January-September 2009 to 14.451 billion somoni, the State Statistics Committee told Interfax.

GDP grew 7.2% in January-September 2008. It grew 7.9% in 2008 as a whole.

Industry accounted for 38.9%, services for 50.4% and taxes for of 10.7% of GDP in the nine months, compared with respectively 43.6%, 43.8% and 12.6% in the same period of last year.

Consumer prices in Tajikistan in January-September increased 4.5% against 12.7% growth in the same period of 2008. Prices for foodstuffs in the nine months went up by 2.2%, non-foods - 5.2% and services - 13.6%.

Inflation in September came to 0.4% against 0.9% in August. September saw price increases of 0.1% for food, 0.8% for other goods and 1.1% for services.

Tajikistan's industrial output fell 10% year-on-year in January-September 2009 to 4.25 billion somoni.

Industry fell 2.5% in January-September last year.

The somoni averaged at 4.0699 somoni/$1 in January-September 2009.

The IMF forecasts Tajikistan's GDP will rise just 2% and that inflation will accelerate to 15.5% in 2009.