Economic Press Monitor September 17 - 23, 2017	Days:  09 16 23 30 07

economic & politics

TABULA: “COMPANY OF GORI MAJORITARIAN MP RECEIVED 79.2M LARI FROM THE BUDGET”

September 20, 2017 - Referring to TI Georgia, Tabula reports that company Ibolia, belonging to majoritarian MP from Gori Ioseb Makrakhidze, won for last 6 years tenders totaling to 79.2 million lari.

For roadworks in Shida Kartli region, ordered by Roads Department, Ibolia will receive from the budget 27.5 million lari in 2016-2020.




TABULA: “ELENE KHOSHTARIA: WE WILL CREATE 35,000 JOBS WITHIN 4 YEARS”

September 20, 2017 - While presenting own election program, candidate for Tbilisi Mayor’s office from European Georgia Elene Khoshtaria, touched upon problem of unemployment and creation of jobs, Tabula reports.

As Khoshtaria declared, “the pledge is creation of jobs and within these 4 years, we will create 35,000 jobs”.




NETGAZETI.GE: “BRITISH AMBASSADOR ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND PROSPECTS OF VISA-FREE REGIME”

September 20, 2017 - The UK ambassador to Georgia Justin Mackenzie Smith points that “Georgia and Britain already have trade and investment relations”. “I am convinced that after leaving the EU, steps will be taken, which will even more increase and strengthen them in future”, he declares.




NETGAZETI.GE: “AS SOON AS WE WILL ENTER INTO THE CITY HALL, THIS DISGRACE WILL COME TO THE END – KALADZE ON PARKING”

September 19, 2017 - Candidate for Tbilisi Mayor’s office from ruling Georgian Dream Kakha Kaladze declared that as soon as his team will enter the City Hall, that disgrace, which exists in connection with parking in the city, will come to the end, Netgazeti.Ge reports.

Kaladze declared this, while presenting his policy in transport sphere, and noted that arrangement of parking is planned for 3,000 cars.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “WE LOOK FOR BENEFIT EVEN IN CASE OF DISASTER”

September 18, 2017 - When military personnel and firemen-rescuers still battled to forest fires in various regions of Georgia, gamgebeli (head of administration) of Borjomi Dimitri Kipiani had issued bonuses to 11 employees for active participation in elimination of the fire in Borjomi forests in August, the newspaper reports.

The biggest bonuses had got gamgebeli himself, his deputy and the head of service for logistical support – per 1,250 lari each, the article specifies.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE TO INSTITUTE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST BURCHULADZE?”

September 18, 2017 - Association of Young Financiers and Businessmen addressed to Prosecutor’s Office, requesting launch investigation of financial activity of Iavnana, charity foundation of prominent opera singer Paata Burchuladze.

According to Andria Gvidiani, representative of the Association, the foundation received almost 10 million lari within 9 years.




EUGEORGIA.INFO: “QUALIFICATION, SKILLS, TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT – THE EU TO CONTINUE FACILITATION TO SME WITH NEW ACCENTS”

September 18, 2017 - “In Georgia, I see three directions which the EU can support various tools”, the EU Director General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielson declares.

“The first is transport and infrastructure”, Danielson specifies, noting: “In this direction, we already had large-scale joint project and now, we actively continue working”.

macroeconomics & budget

REZONANSI: “IT IS ALREADY IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT LARI EXCHANGE RATE!”

September 21, 2017 - A few days ago, lari rate has dropped to 2.50 GEL/USD, the newspaper notes.

Expert Gocha Tutberidze explains: “Money supply is increased very much.




FORBES GEORGIA: “25 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT OF GEORGIA: THE WORLD BANK NAMES MAIN CHALLENGES OF THE COUNTRY”

September 19, 2017 - According to the report of the World Bank (WB), “Georgia needs balance between social programs and maintenance of fiscal/macroeconomic stability”. At that, the WB indicates that lack of domestic savings still remains one of challenges to Georgia.




TABULA: “KUMSISHVILI: WITH CORRECT DECISION, WE INCREASED EXCISE WHEN OIL IS CHEAP”

September 19, 2017 - “We raised excise, when oil price is one of the lowest in the world”, Finance Minister Dimitri Kumsishvili says. Respectively, “our decision was absolutely timely and correct”, he points.

companies

TABULA: “DESIRE TO SUPPLY APPLES TO THE MINISTRY WAS EXPRESSED BY ONLY ONE COMPANY”

September 22, 2017 - Tender for supply of apples to schools was applied by LLC Kepka only, Tabula reports.

The company is ready to supply 260,000 apples to the Ministry of Public Education and Sciences for 69,940 lari that is by 9,000 lari lower than estimated cost, declared by the Ministry, the article specifies.

transport & communications

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “NATIONAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION WORKS ON POSSIBLE REDUCTION OF INTERNET PRICES”

September 22, 2017 - National Communication Commission starts research, aiming establishment of how much correspond prices on the local wholesale internet market to service quality, the newspaper reports. This information was announced at the Forum of Internet Governance, held in Georgia on September 11-12.




REZONANSI: “HALF A MILLION CARS SHOULD PASS TESTING UNTIL END OF THE YEAR ”

September 19, 2017 - There remains 3 months before obligatory technical inspection of cars will come into effect, the newspaper says.

Head of National Accreditation Center Paata Gogolidze reports that there are 35 examination centers in the country, of which 7 are located in Tbilisi.




FORBES GEORGIA: “PURPOSES, FOR WHICH GEORGIAN POPULATION USES THE INTERNET”

September 18, 2017 - According to research of Sakstat, 60.5% of interviewed households had used Internet for the last 3 months.

If in urban areas, Internet was never used by 27.1% of population, in rural areas this indicator makes up 52.8%.

international cooperation

EUGEORGIA.INFO: “EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES NEW PROJECT, PROMOTING BLUE ECONOMY IN THE BLACK SEA REGION”

September 22, 2017 - “Nowadays, the Black Sea is among those few exceptions in Europe’s sea, which lack general strategy”, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella declared. In order to assist to this sphere, technical assistance program of European Commission should be launched, within which 1 million EUR will be spent, he said.




FORBES GEORGIA: “WE EXPORT TO THE EU BY 65% MORE PRODUCTION, THAN TO RUSSIA”

September 20, 2017 - Referring to Sakstat, the magazine reports that export of Georgian production to the EU amounted for January-August to $401 million, exceeding by 65% the total cost of production, delivered during the similar period to Russia.

For the last 10 years, export to the EU market has exceeded export to Russia 4 times (by $3.3 billion more).

finances & banking

TABULA: “COMMERCIAL BANKS ARE NOT FORBIDDEN TO POSSESS FARMLAND ANY MORE”

September 21, 2017 - The Parliament approved in the first hearing legislative amendments, which exempt commercial banks and microfinancial organizations from restrictions, established for acquisition of agricultural land, Tabula reports. Restriction also does not concern “special cases”, which will be determined by the government.

agriculture & food

FORBES GEORGIA: “GURIA’S “BLUEBERRY” – “NEW FRUIT” WITH BIG PROSPECTS”

September 22, 2017 - Blueberry saplings were brought to Georgia for the first time from the US in 2006, while were planted in 2007-2008 in Imereti, Guria and Samegrelo regions, the magazine reports.

According to Sakstat, Georgia’s export of blueberry and similar berries amounted in 2016 to $474,000.




EUGEORGIA.INFO: “FARMERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUY PESTICIDES WITHOUT CORRESPONDING CERTIFICATE ANY MORE”

September 21, 2017 - Since 2020, not a single person will be able to purchase pesticides in absence of certificate, confirming the corresponding education, Eugeorgia.Info reports.

This is envisaged by European Directive 2009/128, which transfer into national legislation the country undertook within agreement on association with the EU, the article specifies.