Wholesale trade up 8.5% in 2006

For period January-December 2006 the turnover value index of wholesale trade and Commission Trade recorded an increase of 8.5% compared to the corresponding period of 2005, according to the Statistical Services.

In December alone the index it rose by 7.7% compared with November to 172.3.

This was much higher than the increase recorded by motor vehicles.

For the whole of 2006 the turnover value index of sale and repair of motor vehicles and retail sale of automotive fuel rose by just 1.7% compared with the corresponding period of 2005. It also fell in December by 1.6% compared with the previous month.

This is probably as a result of the sharp cut in excise duties in November 2006 that affected the value of sales.