Financiarul

Traders’ turnover reduced 10.5 percent in eight months to August compared to the same period one year ago, from 82.37 billion lei to 74.79 billion lei, according to figures provided to evz.ro by the National Statistics Institute (INS). In August, the trade turnover fell by almost 1.2 billion lei as against the same month one year ago, from 11.7 billion lei to 10.52 billion lei. Figures do not include and the value of trade in cars and motorcycles.

Over January-August 2009, traders who mainly sell mainly food products, beverages and tobacco reported a diminution of turnover worth over half a billion lei, compared to the same interval in 2008, from 28.35 billion lei. Compared to August 2008, the turnover in retail trade shrank by over 60 million lei in August 2009 to almost 3.9 billion lei.

Traders who are operating in the sector non-food products reported shrinkage in turnover over January-August, 2008. Thus, the aggregate turnover stood at 29.9 billion lei. In August alone, the turnover reduced by some 500 million lei compared to the same month in 2008, totaling 4.11 billion lei. Neither petrol stations reported better results over January-August, 2009. Sales fell by 5.32 billion lei compared to the same period in 2008.

In August, the turnover specialized in car fuel trade went down by 640 million lei compared to August 2008, up to 2.5 billion lei. Last year, the share of trade in the gross domestic product was of 23.3 percent, whereas industry generated 22.9 percent of the GDP. The value of the GDP was of 503.9 billion lei. Estimates on the 2009 gross domestic product are of 588 billion lei.