Georgia, Tbilisi / Trend corr S. Aliyev / The number of plastic cards in Azerbaijan in 2006 increased by 71% from 2005 levels, totally 1,131,000, the VISA international payment system's manager on CIS countries, Svetlana Georbelidzeh, said 18 May during the 2nd Caucasus International Conference and 'Banks and Finances' exhibition in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The conference and exhibition were organized by the Iteca company.
According to Georbelidzeh, the plastic card turnover in Azerbaijan in 2006 increased by 16% as compared to 2005 and made up $998mln. The plastic card turnover in the commerce system of the country in 2006 rose by 131%, compared to 2005, and comprised $64mln.
In 2006, Azerbaijan had 1,703 trade POS-terminals (71% more than in 2005).
" Azerbaijan ranks fifth place in number of cards after Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, and first place among South Caucasus countries," Georbelidzeh said. In 2006, the number of plastic cards in Georgia increased up to 771,000. The plastic card turnover in Georgia in 2006 totalled $700mln and the turnover in the trade system totalled $48mln.
Georbelidzeh noted that in 2006 the number of cards in Armenia was 85,000, resulting in turnover worth $144mln, and turnover in trade system worth $19mln.