ArmInfo. Industrial sector of Armenia in the first quarter of 2019 slowed annual growth to 2% from 8.2% a year earlier, providing a volume of 423.8 billion drams ($ 869.8 million). In March alone, the industry demonstrated growth in volume by 16.1% to 160.9 billion drams ($ 330 million). According to the Statistics Committee of the Republic of Armenia, the dynamics of the industrial sector are due to the decline in the volume of the mining sector and the slowdown in the growth rate of the manufacturing industry.
So, in the first quarter of 2019. to the same period of 2018 in the mining industry and the development of open-pit mines there was a decline of 4.5% (against 7.9% decline a year earlier) - to 73. 8 billion drams. And only in March, the mining industry increased by 26.5% - to 28.6 billion drams. The volume of manufacturing in the first quarter of 2019. increased on an annualized basis by 5.5% (against a growth of 18.8% a year earlier) - up to 277.9 billion drams, with a monthly increase of 16.1% up to 108.4 billion drams.
Moreover, in the processing industry in the first quarter of 2019, only the production of beverages fell by 1%, pharmaceutical products by 13.2%, base metals by 10.3%, and jewelry by 0.1%. At the same time, a significant increase was recorded in the production of machinery and equipment - by 61.3%, computers, electrical and optical equipment - by 41.9%, textiles - by 37.9%, rubber and plastic products - by 28.1%, chemical industry - by 23.4%, clothing - by 21%. In the manufacturing industry in terms of production volumes, food products are leading (86.4 billion drams), cigarettes (45.7 billion), basic metals (43.5 billion), beverages (33.9 billion drams).
According to the statistics, the supply of electricity, gas, steam and conditioned air in general decreased in I quarter of 2019 to the same period of 2018 by 3.1% (against 2.6% of the decline a year earlier) - to 65.9 billion drams, by background monthly growth of 6.4% - to 21.8 billion drams. Moreover, the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for the reporting period in annual terms decreased by 8.2%, while the production of gas, the distribution of gaseous fuel through gas supply systems increased by 17.8%.
Revenues from water supply, cleaning and treatment of waste and receiving secondary raw materials for the reporting period decreased by 0.2% per annum (against 8.8% growth a year earlier) - to 6.1 billion drams. In monthly terms, this segment showed an increase of 4.8% - up to 2 billion drams.
Recall that the volume of industrial production in Armenia in 2018 compared with 2017 increased by 4.3% (against growth of 12.6% a year earlier), reaching 1.737 trillion. drams ($ 3.6 billion). The slowdown in the upward trend was triggered by a decline in the mining sector by 14% (against 13.9% growth a year earlier) and a slowdown in the growth rate of the manufacturing industry - from 15.7% a year earlier to 10% in 2018.
The average settlement rate of the dram to the US dollar in March 2018 was 487.48 others. / $ 1, and in January-March - 487.23 others. / $ 1, against 480.41 others. / $ 1 - in March 2018 and 481, 39 dr./$ 1 - in January-March 2018