In the first 8 months of this year, goods worth 40.4 billion manats were sold to consumers in the retail trade network, including 22.2 billion manats worth of food products, beverages, and tobacco products, and 18.2 billion manats worth of non-food items. Compared to the January-August period of 2024, the retail trade turnover increased by 3.7 percent in real terms, including a 1.3 percent increase in food products, beverages, and tobacco products, and a 6.7 percent increase in non-food items.
Economist deputy Vuqar Bayramov stated to Medianews.az that one of the main noteworthy points in the retail trade turnover is the increase in funds spent on the purchase of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies: "During this period, the amount of money that our citizens spent on the purchase of medicines and medical supplies increased at a record level - by 21 percent. This means that during this period, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, our citizens had to spend 210 million manats more on purchasing medicines and medical supplies. This is a quite significant figure.
The increase in expenses for pharmaceutical products is related to changes in the prices of medicines as well as the rising demand for medical services. According to the data of the State Statistics Committee, an increase in the prices of medical services provided as paid services for consumer goods and the population has also been recorded. This means that with the increase in demand, price increases in medical services have continued as well.
Considering the special impacts of consumption expenditures on pharmaceutical products on the family budget, it is very important to maintain price balance in this area. It is true that the prices of medicines are regulated. However, in parallel, optimization of consumption expenditures is also important. On the other hand, in order to balance prices and expenses, expanding local production and minimizing imports are also essential."
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az
