From 4 to 8 November, international statistics expert Alexey Ponomarenko visited Ashgabat.

The purpose of his visit was to share international experience and offer strategic recommendations on improving methods for monitoring foreign trade in services.

His visit focused on addressing the complex challenges of measuring trade in services, which often includes intangible cross-border transactions that are difficult to track using traditional customs data.

Alexey Ponomarenko, in particular, noted the following:

“Trade in services often includes intangible transactions that do not pass through customs, making them difficult to track accurately. The introduction of new methods, such as tracking electronic payments, can significantly improve data accuracy, especially for digital and small-scale transactions.”

On November 7, during a roundtable meeting with representatives of the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan, the Central Bank of Turkmenistan and the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, A. Ponomarenko presented the potential of using electronic payment data to obtain a more complete picture of service flows, especially for digital and small-scale transactions.

The visit of the International expert was organized within the framework of the joint UNDP and Turkmenstat project “Support to improving statistics on foreign trade in services, as well as statistical information on the volume of passenger and cargo transportation.” This initiative supports the ongoing efforts of the Government of Turkmenistan to improve both foreign and domestic trade by strengthening institutional mechanisms, harmonizing national legislation with international standards, according to a UNDP press release.