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From 1 May 2025, banks and exchange offices in Kyrgyzstan will be officially allowed to charge a commission for accepting and exchanging US dollars issued before 2006. These banknotes are often referred to as ‘white’ due to their outdated design and less pronounced security features.

Although the official unemployment rate in Kyrgyzstan is only 1.8% and the average gross salary in the country in January 2025 was 39,342 KGS (around 450 USD), the real conditions in the labor market differ significantly from these figures. Officially, salaries are rising — they have increased by 16.9% over the year, and by 9.6% when adjusted for inflation.

Over the past three years, more than 113,000 labour migrants have returned from Russia to Kyrgyzstan. This is the data provided by the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Migration. However, most of them do not stay at home for long - instead they reorient themselves towards Europe and other countries.

Agriculture in Kyrgyzstan is actively developing, accounting for nearly 13% of the country's GDP. However, it remains a highly risky sector. Farmers' success depends on weather conditions, quality of care and timely investments. Expenses for fertilizers, equipment and livestock renewal require substantial funding, especially in spring, and banks often become the key solution.

Financing green technologies: which banks in Kyrgyzstan support environmental projects? The transition to a green economy is becoming a global trend, and Kyrgyzstan is not left behind.

Over the past two years, Kyrgyz cinema has been experiencing a real period of prosperity, made possible by the activity of private film companies and state support. According to Ulan Adamaliyev, director of the Cinematography Department at the Ministry of Culture, the boom is characterised not only by an increase in the number of films produced, but also by a marked improvement in their quality, a

Kyrgyzstan is closer than ever to getting off the European Union's aviation blacklist. This event could happen as early as this year and open up new opportunities for the country's aviation sector. However, is Kyrgyzstan's aviation infrastructure ready for new challenges? Will ticket prices come down? Or will flights via Istanbul remain more favourable?

The Netherlands, the world's largest importer of flowers, which had been the main supplier to Kyrgyzstan since 2022, no longer holds the leading position in our market. It has been replaced by Colombia, which imported 65.8 tonnes to the Kyrgyz Republic in 2024 against 22.8 tonnes from the Netherlands.