BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
In August this year, the Business Activity Index (BAI) showed a moderate decline in relation to July. At the same time, the BAI decreased by 12 percent compared to the same month last year, Trend reports referring Center for Economic Research and Reform (CERR).
In August 2020, the Business Activity Index, calculated by the CERR amounted to 984 points, compared to July 2020 (a decrease of 1.6 percent), while in August 2019 it amounted to 880 points (a decrease of 12 percent).
The gradual easing of the quarantine since August 15 has had a moderate impact on business activity in Uzbekistan.
The decreased of 1.6 percent in the BAI in August 2020 is explained by changes in the following components:
- the decrease in the number of transactions on bank accounts of business entities by 1.1 percent;
- growth of the component of operating economic entities by 0.40 percent;
- the decrease in the intensity of purchasing raw materials at the commodity and raw materials exchange by 6 percent;
- growth of the brand component by 35.5 percent.
The number of interbank payment transactions in August 2020 amounted to 3,7 million and decreased by 41,500 transactions (-1.1 percent), compared to July 2020. Compared to the same period last year, there is a significant decline of 35.7 percent.
In August 2020, the stock exchange component of the BAI was 0.9402, which means a decline in the component level by 6 percent compared to the previous month. The decline in the level of this component is associated with a 13.3 percent decrease in the number of transactions. At the same time, there was an increase in the average physical volume of goods purchased for each transaction by 1.3 percent.
As a result of August, the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange concluded 28,856 transactions, which is less by 4,422 transactions (by 13.3 percent) than in July this year (33,278). The total turnover of the commodity exchange in August 2020 amounted to 3,007 billion soums ($293 million), which is 12 percent less than in the previous month.
The component of operating economic entities in August 2020 amounted to 1.004, which means an increase in the component by 0.4 percent compared to the previous month.
During the reporting period, the number of small businesses increased from 376,982 to 383,901 (an increase of 6,919). The number of farms increased from 99 460 to 100,007 (an increase of 547). The number of operating large enterprises amounted to 2,924, which is 81 less than in July 2020.
In August 2020, the index of protected trademarks amounted to 1.3 million, which means an increase of 35.5 percent compared to the previous month. Legal entities have registered 84 trademarks and trade names.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva