Moldova reported USD 1.6 bln trade balance deficit

Moldova’s last year trade balance resulted in a deficit of approximately USD 1.6 bln, 36.7 percent up from 2005. According to data from the National Statistics Bureau, export of goods in 2006 netted USD 1051.6 mln, which is less by 5.6% than the value for 2005. Imports of goods went up USD 2.7 bln, which is by 17.5% higher than the value for the period January-February 2005. The Gross Domestic Product for 2006 reached the nominal value of about MDL 44 bln. In comparable conditions, the gross domestic product was 4% up from 2005. Industrial enterprises of different types of property manufactured products in the amount of around MDL 22.2 bln. The volume of industrial goods was 93.1% compared with 2005. The decrease in the industrial output was caused by a reduced volume of wine, tobacco, the oils and fats industry, paper and pasteboard, glass and glassy goods etc. The agricultural output reported in all categories of households in 2006, according to preliminary estimates, was around MDL 13.6 bln, which is 95.4% than the previous year. The agricultural output reduction was caused by an 8.5 % decrease in vegetal production. The fixed capital investments from all financial sources achieved in national economy stood at around MDL 9.5 bln leis, of which about MDL 4.9 bln were for construction-assembly services, or correspondingly by 17% and 19.6% higher than in 2005. The buildings put into commission went up 24.9% in volume. Retail sales netted MDL 23,361 mln in 2006, registering a 6.9% increase compared with previous year, which was conditioned by the increase in sales reported by trade units (+9.9%). Services rendered to population in the examined period accounted for cash receipts of about MDL 9.5 bln, or by 1.6% higher than in 2005.