DUSHANBE, January 9, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Gross domestic product (GDP) rose 7.9 percent in the year to December 31, 2008, reaching 17.609 billion somoni, equivalent to 5.134 billion US dollars, the Economic Development and Trade Minister Ghulomjon Bobozoda announced at an enlarged meeting of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT) in Dushanbe today.

According to him, GDP per capita for 2008 amounted to 697 dollars, which is 35.3 percent more than in 2007.   

The minister noted that all sectors of the country’s economy, except industry, made good progress last year.

“Last year''s gross agricultural product from all categories of farms was 7.807 billion somoni (in current prices) and increased by 7.9 percent compared to 2007,” Bobozoda said.

The retail trade volumes last year amounted to 4.033 billion somoni, which is 13.5 percent more than in 2007, and the country’s external trade turnover last year amounted to $4.676 billion, which is 116.6 percent of the 2007 level, the minister said.