Daily News

IN THIS ISSUE:

Georgian Partnership Fund informed that on March 12-13 Tbilisi will host for the second time Georgia-Israel forum on innovations.

Technical details, related to holding of the event, were discussed today by Partnership Fund’s management and Israeli ambassador to Georgia Yuval Fuchs, Globegateway president Oded Kapitolnik and director of Mashav center in Georgia Giorgi Zhgenti.

Georgian government informed that Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has appointed Giorgi Badashvili as Main Prosecutor, following his introduction by Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani.

Badashvili, 32, is a lawyer.

Policy Institute of International School of Economics – Tbilisi (ISET Policy Institute) decreased forecast for GDP growth in the 4^th quarter of 2013 to 4.9% (the previous forecast – 5.2%). The Institute also decreased forecast for economic growth in the 1^st quarter of this year to 4.5% (previous forecast – 6.5%).

The expert Demur Giorkhelidze considers that lari rate was artificially maintained on high mark. This caused money hunger and appearance of money sharks, he declared to journalists today.

Regional Development and Infrastructure Ministry informed that more than 25 million lari will be spent on infrastructural projects in Samtskhe-Javakheti region in 2014.

At that, 13.56 million lari will be issued by the Ministry, while regional projects fund will provide the remained 11.57 million lari.

JSC Georgian Railway declared that according to the preliminary data, income from freight traffic and related station operations in 2013 has increased nearly by 28 million lari.

Regarding decline of fright volume, the company made statements starting from March, so this information is not new, Georgian Railway pointed in a statement yesterday.

Draft bill “On Postal Communication”, worked out by the Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry, envisages status of national (designated) operator, applied for 20 years to state-owned LLC Georgian Post.

Representative of the Ministry Sopho Tvalavadze explained to Sarke that Georgian Post was selected after comparison of data of various operators.

Use of payment system PayPal in both directions (sending money, as well as receiving) is already available for Georgian customers.

To remind, usage of PayPal, being restricted with availability to send money only, is available for Georgian customers since April 2013.

National Bank of Georgia reported that total net profit of the banking sector amounted in 2013 to 65.26 million lari. This volume has increased 2.96 times year-on-year.

National Bank of Georgia reported that overdue loans of Georgian banks totaled to 231 million lari in 2013. This volume has increased by 3.71% year-on-year.

National Bank of Georgia reported that domestic turnover of operations, made in 2013 by resident issuers’ cards, amounted to 8.3 billion lari. This volume has increased by 14.95% year-on-year.

National Bank of Georgia reported that transactions, implemented in 2013 with resident issuers’ cards outside the country, totaled to 592.04 million lari. This volume has increased by 36.03% year-on-year.

Bank Constanta reported about changes in the shareholder’ structure. Namely, as of December 31, 2013, structure of shareholders is as follow: TBC Bank – 87.45%, OikoCredit – 6.8%, Tamar Lebanidze – 1.46%, Levan Lebanidze – 1.01%.