Kyrgyzstan: state debt up in Q1 2017

The state debt of Kyrgyzstan grew by $95 million in the first quarter of 2017 and updated the historical maximum, the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. Of March 31, its size was $4,160 billion, or 285,461,89 billion soms. The external debt formed in the amount of $3,803.97 billion (260,978,59 billion soms), and…

Ukraine: Ukrzaliznytsia bans cargo traffic and transit in wagons owned by Russian companies

PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia has introduced a ban on transportation of all types of cargo and empty wagons, including transit through the territory of Ukraine, for a number of owner companies from the Russian Federation. According to company decree Ts-2/101 dated May 18, transportation is prohibited in the wagons of Sberbank Leasing, SG Trans, NefteTransService, Freight One,…

Latvia: unemployment rate at 9.4% in Q1 2017

In Q1 the Latvian unemployment rate constituted 9.4%. Compared to the previous quarter, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1%, whereas, compared to the same period of the year before, the rate reduced by 0.9%. In Q1 91.3 thousand people aged 15-74 were unemployed, which is 10.3 thousand fewer than a year ago and 0.5 thousand…

Latvia: micro-enterprise tax creates serious defects

The micro-enterprise tax has created serious defects for Latvia’s tax system, said Fiscal Discipline Council chairman Janis Platais. “It has caused very serious defects to our tax system. It suffocates growth. It acts against the tax neutrality principle, when taxes should not stimulate one or the other form of business,” Platais said. He believes Latvia…

Ukraine: retail trade up in January-April 2017

Retail trade in Ukraine rose by 5.8% YoY in January-April in comparable prices, to UAH 226.749 billion, or $8.6 billion, according to the State Statistics Service’s website. Retail turnover increased the most in Kirovohrad region (by 9.3%, to UAH 4.37 billion), Lviv region (by 9.2%, to UAH 13.1 billion), Poltava region (by 8.4%, to UAH…