During the period of March of the current year the inflow of money transfers from foreign countries to Georgia was still continuing and its volume reached 80.4 million USD, which is by 19.1 million USD (31.1 percent) more than the volume of money transfers for the period of March of the last year. Traditionally, the biggest share of money transfers falls to Russia - 50,1 million USD, i.e. 62.3 percent of the total amount. Next is USA again (5.5 million USD, i.e. 6.8 percent), though the share of this country in the total amount is decreasing recently.

According to the data of March of the current year, the volume of money transfers from Italy to Georgia has increased significantly (by 3.3 million USD, i.e. 13.3 times), from Ukraine (by 3.2 million USD, i.e. 2.7 times) and from Greece (by 1.9 million USD, i.e. 2.0 times).

According to money transfers, 89.0 percent of total money transfers come to the big seven of donor countries (see the table)

It is notable, that in March of the current year 8.1 million USD has been sent from Georgia abroad, i.e. by 1.4 million USD (21 percent) more than in March of the year of 2007. The volume of money transfers has increased from Georgia to Russia (by 0.8 million USD) and constituted 4.0 USD, to Ukraine - (relatively by 0.4 million USD) 1.0 million USD.

Western Union (16.9 percent) and Anelik (16.3 percent) are the most popular among the fast money transfer systems. Next come Contact (14.6 percent), UniStreem (9.6 percent) and MoneyGram (6.2 percent).

One of the questions, frequently raised in the society during the recent period of time was: what an impact Lari appreciation against USD had on the incomes of those, who receive money from abroad.

First of all it should be stressed here, that the statistics of money transfers is calculated in USD, as the statistic reporting is conducted in USD. But the most part of the inflows is not in USD. According to 2007 data, only 17% of quick money transfers have been carried out in USD, 62%-Russian Rouble, 8%-Euro, 2% -Turkish Lira and etc. Also, uncertainty is caused by the fact, that the quick money transfer operators, whose transfers can be available in any country of the world, use USD as a transactional currency, i.e. if a person sends 100 Euro from France, he converts it in USD and the beneficiary receives 158 USD in Georgia. So, if we convert the sum into Lari, 100 Euro will be 230 Lari, as in the past period. Correspondingly, Lari exchange rate fluctuation against USD doesn't influence on the sums sent from Euro zone, in case if the USD and Euro exchange rates are changing simultaneously, as it was the case during the last period. The same is true with regards to Russian Rouble and other currencies.

In order fully to evaluate the exchange rate impact on money transfers, we can calculate nominal effective exchange rate, where we can use the currency composition of money transfers to Georgia as a weight.

A certain appreciation of exchange rate was notable in 2004, though since that period it has been stable and the appreciation of the national currency as a whole doesn't make an impact. While transferring sums from the USA, the volume of USD, denominated in Lari has been reduced. Though, it should be also stressed here, that the exchange rate fluctuation is a normal occurrence for the world markets, developed countries among them. True is the fact, that the USD exchange rate has depreciated against other currencies, but in other case, there would be a high unemployment rate in USA, which would result in reducing the incomes of labor migrants and respectively, the possibility of carrying out the money transfers to Georgia would also be limited.

Present statistical information is being published on the statistics headlines.