IN THIS ISSUE:

The Parliament adopted a special decree, offering condolences to the families and relatives of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on Washington D.C. and New York. On behalf of the Georgian people deputies condemned terrorism and regimes supporting it, bolstering the US efforts on combating terrorism and “taking preventive measures” against such regimes.

Head of the Tourism and Resorts Department, Vazha Shubladze, told Sarke this would take place at a meeting of the executive board of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in St. Petersburg. The country is to cover 130,000 EUR debt, which has accumulated since 1998, when Georgia stopped paying membership fees.

At a government session today the State Property Management Minister, Solomon Pavliashvili, welcomed the move to set up a holding, which will control state shares and stocks in enterprises. He said it was essential to set up an effective mechanism for such management since no ministry would be able to cope with it.

David Gamkrelidze, New Rights faction chair told Sarke, that he is not yet familiar with the Government draft. Overall, he considers reasonable to create a holding, which would supervise state shares and enterprises.

At a government session today the Finance Minister Mirian Gogiashvili acknowledged the plan of budget revenues for August had been performed only by 95%. Although the plan of tax revenues was performed by 100%, and customs – by 99.8%, sums not received from Ajara as well as foreign grants generated the gap.

According to an independent group of Abkhaz journalists, the Georgian-Abkhaz Information Channel, President of the de facto republic of Abkhazia called for increasing tax collection volume during his meeting with heads of the State Tax Service on September 9. Ardzinba said it was essential to toughen control over observing tax legislation.

At a government session today the Minister of Transport and Communications, Merab Adeishvili, called for a prompt political solution regarding transferring rights for the management of JSC Sakelectrokavshiri to Norwegian TeleNor. Adeishvili said that recently the Norwegians have finished working on a business-plan, and expressed fear that rejecting their proposal would end up in TeleNor’s withdrawal from Georgia, which would damage the country’s investment image very much.

An independent group of Abkhaz journalists, the Georgian-Abkhaz Information Channel reports that the plan, confirmed on September 9 by the Cabinet Council, will become the basis for the budget-2003 of the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia. Presenting the draft, Beslan Kuprava the Vice-Premier and Economic Minister, said the document was based on the parameters agreed with head of regional administrations and of state companies.