Turkmenistan’s retail trade increased by about 17 percent in January as compared to last year’s indicator. Alongside with that, prices for consumer products and rates for services, rendered to the population remained unchanged. The country’s ever-growing trade turnover testifies to the population’s enhanced wellbeing and quality-of-life improvements. In 2016, in the services industries, the highest growth rates of gross value added were recorded in trade – more than 14 percent. In 2016, as before, the trade sector with its stable rates of growth succeeded in fulfilling its key task to meet the population’s demand for a broad range of goods and services, having made a considerable impact on the development of production. In 2016, trade exceeded 10 percent in GDP (over 8 percent in 2015). Over 1.2 billion manats were assimilated last year. This is practically a sevenfold increase in the funds envisaged by the annual plan. As for the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, the index increased twofold. According to the State Statistics Committee, last year’s increase in retail trade turnover totaled 10.6 percent in the state sector and 17.5 percent in the private sector. In 2016, total trade turnover of the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations (including wholesale turnover) rose by 10 percent in comparison with 2015.