Uzbekistan, Tashkent, March 17 / Trend , T.Jukov/
Uzbekistan's 2008-budget lost about 670 million sums ($480,000) due to gold contraband, the Uzbek Central Bank Precious Metal Agency reported.
In 2008, only 61.5 million sums (about $44,000) accounts for gold jewelry to 2008-state budget, despite the figure were forecasted at 731 million sums (over $525,000).
"The number of jewelry, which have been checked in the state assay office, have been reducing every year. Three years ago the assay office licensed the sale of 455 kilogram jewelry, then only 407 kilogram were licensed in 2007 and 302 kilograms in 2008.
Meanwhile, black markets of gold are quite common in Canada, Margilan, Andijan, Bukhara and Namangan, where the jewelry are traded in streets. Gold smuggling comes from Turkey, Italy, Russia and Ukraine.
Last year the state House of proof upon request of law enforcement bodies of Uzbekistan was held at the 289 examinations 40,176 jewelry pieces weighing a total of 215.4 kilograms.