YEREVAN (ARKA), March 16–Armenia’s economic activity index in the first quarter of 2010 increased by 38.4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to 57.8 percent, the Central Bank of Armenia said in a press release. It said that the economic activity index grew by 20% year-on-year.

The Central Bank also said that the business environment index improved 5.8 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to 46 percent, while consumer confidence index rose by 6.3 percent to 46 percent.

The figures are based on a series of random surveys conducted by the Central Bank among 863 companies dealing with industry, construction and services and 1,821 households in Yerevan and all 10 provinces. The surveys were made by telephone, letters and faxes and via the Internet, to calculate the economic activity, business environment and consumer confidence indexes.