Economic Press Monitor June 24 - 30, 2018	Days:  16 23 30 07 14

economic & politics

REZONANSI: “NEW DETAILS OF IVANISHVILI’S SECRET MEETING WITH DIPLOMATS”

June 29, 2018 - Chairman of ruling Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili met diplomatic corps on the second day after approval of Mamuka Bakhtadze as the Prime Minister, the newspaper says.

According to the article, the meetings behind the closed doors was attended only by members of the Parliament: Irakli Kobakhidze (speaker), Archil Talakvadze, Tamar Chugoshvili, Sofo Katsarava and Tamar Khulordava.




REZONANSI: “WHOSE IDEA WAS INVITATION OF ONE OF THE MOST ODIOUS FIGURES AS THE FINANCE MINISTER?”

June 28, 2018 - The newspaper reports that candidacy of Giorgi Kobulia, graduate of Tbilisi Medical University and the US Emory University, is considered for a post of the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development. The article indicates that there is practically no information about him, as he never worked in Georgia.




REZONANSI: “THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE THREATENED BY UNEMPLOYMENT”

June 27, 2018 - Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Maia Tskitishvili declared that “concept of the small government, first of all, serves an optimal governance system, but not staff cut”. “This is not about mass dismissal or reduction”, she stressed.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “BAKHTADZE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AS ALL PREMIERS HAD”

June 25, 2018 - Expert Sandro Tvalchrelidze indicates that new Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has “the same problem, as all premiers of Georgian Dream had – he considers that government of the country is the same as management of the company”. However, “mechanisms are absolutely different”, the expert points.

macroeconomics & budget

REZONANSI: “TENDERS’ DILEMMA IN THE CAPITAL”

June 29, 2018 - Tender on procurement of new buses, announced by Tbilisi Transport Company, failed again, the newspaper reports. The only participant of the tender, Tegeta Truck&Bus, was disqualified.




FORBES GEORGIA: “FDI SHARE IN ECONOMICS OF GEORGIA AND THE WORLD COUNTRIES”

June 26, 2018 - In 2016, foreign direct investments (FDI) in Georgia amounted for $1.57 billion.

In 2012-2016, share of FDI in Georgia’s GDP made up 8.8% on average, the magazine reports with reference to TBC Research.




TABULA: “UNICEF: SALARY OF NURSERY TEACHERS AND DIRECTORS IS VERY LOW”

June 26, 2018 - The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) concludes that main reasons of poor quality of preschool education in Georgia is such factors, as overcrowded groups, long working hours, low salaries, lack of primary (university) education and continuous professional development.

According to the UNICEF research, average monthly salary of nursery teachers, occupied on a full rate, makes up 336 lari that is nearly 3 times lower than Georgia’s national average rate (940 lari).

conflict and court

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““SAKARTVELOS BANKI” IS THE MAIN ACTOR IN CASE OF BANKRUPTCY OF “METALLINVEST””

June 25, 2018 - Murtaz Ugulava, director and single owner of LLC Metallinvest (trade with construction materials), accuses Sakartvelos Banki (Bank of Georgia) of illegal actions. He demands from investigative authorities to assess legally actions of the bank and continues litigation with demand of compensation of the caused damage.

companies

FORBES GEORGIA: “BIG DETAILS OF BIG BUSINESS”

June 29, 2018 - RMG Group is one of the largest exporters of the country, the magazine says. In 2017, RMG carried out export of $150 million.

transport & communications

REZONANSI: “ROAD TOLL NOT TO BE INTRODUCED DURING THE NEXT 10 YEARS”

June 28, 2018 - During the last 2-3 weeks, there are talks about introduction of road toll of certain type in Georgia, the newspaper says.

Head of Roads Department Irakli Karseladze declared that the World Bank and EBRD conducted two independent studies on the subject, producing different recommendations.

international cooperation

EUGEORGIA.INFO: “GEORGIA MAINTAINS STABLE TRADE RELATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION”

June 28, 2018 - During the last 10 years, Georgia’s export to the EU is steadily growing, Eugeorgia.Info reports.

If in 2007, the country’s export to the EU amounted to about $269 million, the volume has increased by 241% in 2017 and makes up $647 million, the article specifies.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “CZECH MEDICAL COMPANIES COULD ENTER GEORGIA”

June 25, 2018 - Presentation of medical projects, offered by 5 Czech organizations, was held through cooperation of Czech embassy and Georgian Ministry of Labor, Healthcare and Social Protection, the newspaper reports.

In the presentation, such companies as MEDIN, ProSpon, ZPT, MZ Liberec and UJP Praha took part.

finances & banking

KVIRIS PALITRA: “WHAT WILL “BLEACH” “BLACK LIST”?”

June 25, 2018 - Lasha Bagaturia, manager of credit bureau CreditInfo Georgia, explains that “there is no “black list” of debtors, there are “negative credit records”“. “630,000 people have at least one negative credit record”, he says.

agriculture & food

REZONANSI: “DOES NEW ATTACK OF CHICKEN FLU THREATEN GEORGIA?”

June 27, 2018 - In Russia, chicken flu have propagated, the danger appeared in neighboring countries too, the newspaper reports and notes that a few years ago, this disease was widespread in Georgia also. Production of chicken meat had dropped to a minimum then, the article specifies.




REZONANSI: “PROJECT OF LANDS’ FREE REGISTRATION DISAPPOINTED”

June 26, 2018 - National Agency of Public Register said that free registration of land is extended until January 1, 2019.

At that, “amendment will be made to the recognition law, which will be directed to even bigger simplification of rule of property recognition”, the Agency declared.

construction

FORBES GEORGIA: “NEW INDUSTRIAL CONCEPT”

June 27, 2018 - In the middle of 2017, the American-Georgian consortium, which builds deep-water port in Anaklia, declared about launch of the second project – development of the port’s nearby territory into Georgia’s first special economic zone, author of the article points.

Logistical and industrial components of the zone are considered as initial economic “driver” and addition to Anaklia port (which should be launched at the end of 2020), the author declares.