Albania Sales Index Rises for the third quarter

TIRANA, Dec.1 – The Albanian National Statistics Institute (INSTAT) released data on Friday that show an increase in sales in transport, telecommunications and construction sectors. The overall effect is a rise in Albania’s third-quarter sales index by 13.1 percent from the previous quarter. The only sectors that recorded a fall were electricity and gas with a 2.8 percent decrease. The service sector showed once again its major importance for the Albanian economy with 49 percent of the rise coming from the trade, hotels and restaurant services. From a comparative perspective, INSTAT showed that the rise in third-quarter sales this year was slower compared to the rise in sales in the second quarter but was faster when compared to the growth of sales recorded in the third quarter last year. The index is published quarterly by INSTAT and measures sales in industry and service sectors.