ARMENIA IS AMONG MAIN COUNTRIES-RECEIVERS OF TRANSFERS FROM RF GASTARBEITERS
arminfo
2008-02-12 11:18:00
ArmInfo. A new record on money transfer to CIS countries from
gastarbeiters (migrant workers), working in RF, was fixed in 2007.
As the Russian Mass Media report, according to the Central Bank’s,
about $36 bln have been transferred abroad in 2007 by natural
persons from Russia via money transfer systems and the ‘Mail of
Russia’. Transfers of gastarbeiters in Russia make up a considerable
part of these amounts. Uzbekistan (16,7%), Tajikistan (15,9%), Ukraine
(15,4%), Armenia (10,1%) and Moldova (8,7%) have become the main
receiver- countries. By estimations of experts of the Institute of
Energy and Finances, the ‘transfers from Russia to Armenia increased
from $615 mln in 2006 to almost $700 mln in 2007’. At the same time
the experts think that Russia does not sell to disadvantage either
from such a practice. According to the data of the Federal Migration
Service, the gastarbeiters turned out products in RF to $50 bln in
2007, (about 4% of RF GDP volume), and transferred only $13 bln to
the Motherland. The workers, officially registered in the municipal
companies, have to be paid 20 – 25 thsd rubles monthly, while 10-15
thd rubles per month are enough for illegal workers.
The experts specify that money transfers are only part of the funds
carried outwards by gastarbeiters. About $18 bln are carried over in
cash and via a system based on the chain of personal contacts.