PARLIAMENT STARTS BUDGET-2005 CONSIDERATION AND APPROVES AMNESTY BILL IN THE FIRST READING
(Daily News: December 22, 2004)
Parliament has commenced consideration of the draft budget-2005 at an extraordinary plenary meeting today. The draft is due to be brought to a vote on December 28.
CONSTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF MOTORWAYS TO BE PRIORITY IN THE NEXT 2 YEARS
(Daily News: December 22, 2004)
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has said the years 2005-2007 will be “decisive” in the development of the road infrastructure. It is planned to construct modern highways from the capital to the border on Turkey on the Tbilisi-Ninotsminda-Kartsakhi route.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS SUPPORT FUNDS TO BE SET UP AS PART OF MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE PROGRAM
(Daily News: December 22, 2004)
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has said two funds will be set up – the infrastructure development and business support funds – as part of the Millennium Challenge program. The money from the first fund will go to the restoration projects in regions; grants will be given through competitions.
MP STUDYING UPCOMING SALE OF GEORGIAN OCEAN SHIPPING COMPANY TO GREENOAK HOLDING
(Daily News: December 21, 2004)
Georgian Parliament has reviewed today the question of the sale of Georgian Ocean Shipping Company to Greenoak Holding, which owns LLC Batumi Oil Terminal through Naftrans.
Part of MPs, in particular Republican David Berdzenishvili pointed to the ties of the Danish businessman Jan Bonde Nielsen with former Ajar leader Aslan Abashidze and odious Russian businessman Grigori Luchansky.
CHAMBER OF CONTROL COMPLAINS ABOUT LOW WAGES
(Daily News: December 20, 2004)
Zurab Soselia, the chairman of the Chamber of Control, has said low salaries – around 200 lari – lead to the outflow of qualified staff. Parliament’s office, which reviewed funding of the chamber today, says the amount of money to be disbursed to the chamber from the budget should increase.
GREENOAK HOLDINGS MANAGES TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT
(Daily News: December 20, 2004)
The Georgian government has decided on selling the Ocean Shipping Company to Greenoak Holdings, which owns LLC Batumi Oil Terminal through Naftrans Limited. The information was published on December 18.
CHOICE HAS BEEN MADE
(Weekly Press Digest: December 19, 2004)
Irakli Okruashvili’s appointment as defense minister raised speculations about Tbilisi’s intention to apply force measures towards Sukhumi and Tskhinvali. However, President Mikheil Saakashvili reiterated at the end of the week the problem was to be dealt with peacefully, calling for non-governmental organizations to assist the government in defining Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s status in the composition of the Georgian federation.
RETIREMENT REFORMS TO BE REVIEWED NEXT YEAR
(Daily News: December 17, 2004)
The Finance Ministry has proposed to abrogate the package of laws on retirement reforms adopted in 2003 to Parliament. The package includes the laws “On Personification and Individual Accounts”“, On Obligatory Social Insurance” and “On Obligatory Insurance Pensions”.
SOCIAL SECTOR WILL BE PRIORITY, SAYS FINANCE MINISTRY
(Daily News: December 17, 2004)
Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli has assured parliamentary committees of the priority of the social sector at the consideration of the draft budget-2005 today. He pointed out an increase in pensions, monetization of power benefits for socially vulnerable population and the launch of the poverty reduction program.
FINANCE MINISTRY PROPOSES TO INCREASE SALARY OF THE COUNTRY’S PRESIDENT
(Daily News: December 16, 2004)
Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli has proposed to increase the salary of the country’s President by 1,000 lari to 4,000 lari a month due to a rise of minimum wages in the country provided for in the draft budget-2005. From current 20 lari, the minimum wages will rise to 115 lari.
PENSION AND WAGE ARREARS WILL BE COMPLETELY COVERED NEXT YEAR, SAYS FINANCE MINISTER
(Daily News: December 16, 2004)
Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli has said budget’s pension and wage arrears that have been accumulated since 1996 will be completely covered next year. 142 million lari will go to pay the arrears, of which 25 million is the pension arrears.
FOREIGN MINISTRY CONSIDERS OPTIONS OF COVERING ITS DEBTS TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
(Daily News: December 16, 2004)
The Foreign Ministry of Georgia is considering two options of covering its $1.56-million debt to the Council of Europe. According to one of the options $859,344 will be paid in the lump sum, including the annual fee for 2005 and the total indebtedness for 2001, while the debt accumulated in 2002-2003 is to be covered in 2006-2007.
BUDGET-2004 PARAMETERS TO INCREASE AGAIN
(Daily News: December 15, 2004)
Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli has announced today due to exceeding budget earnings the revenues part of the budget-2004 will increase by 100 million lari. The government will hand an adequate draft over to Parliament today.
NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MINISTER TO GO AHEAD WITH AGGRESSIVE PRIVATIZATION POLICY
(Daily News: December 15, 2004)
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has introduced new Economic Development Minister Aleksi Aleksishvili to the staff of the Ministry today. The former said Aleksishvili would work in the completely reformed Ministry, which was the result of the six-month performance of his predecessor Kakha Bendukidze.
JSC ELMAVALMSHENEBELI’S STATE SHARE TO BE PRIVATIZED AFRESH
(Daily News: December 14, 2004)
The Economic Development Ministry has announced an auction for the privatization of 51% of JSC Elmavalmshenebeli’s (electric locomotive building factory) shares and set the initial price at $3 million, despite the privatization of 75% of state-owned stocks of the enterprise in 2002.
The Control Chamber had ruled that the privatization had been implemented with infringements.
PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCE PERSONNEL RESHUFFLES
(Daily News: December 14, 2004)
President Mikheil Saakashvili has told a special news briefing this evening the current Interior Ministry and the Security Ministry will be replaced by the united Ministry of Police and Public Order. Vano Merabishvili, the current Security Minister, will head the new ministry.
IN THE EXPECTATION OF SWEEPING CHANGES
(Weekly Press Digest: December 12, 2004)
Upcoming personnel reshuffles in the government have raised so much confusion that they have even outshone the approval of the new Tax Code in the second reading. Information regarding personnel reshuffles, according to the Rezonansi, “has permanently leaked from the State Office”.
TAX CODE APPROVED IN THE SECOND READING
(Daily News: December 9, 2004)
Today Parliament has approved the draft Tax Code in the second reading by 126 votes to 13. Parliament hopes the document will be passed in the third reading by the end of the year to put it into force in 2005.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MINISTER SAYS REFORMS IN POWER ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING ARE ESSENTIAL
(Daily News: December 8, 2004)
Economic Development Minister Kakha Bendukidze said in a live night program of TV company Mze yesterday serious reforms were essential in the regulation, licensing and financial sectors of the power energy.
Bendukidze hopes the reforms will be conducted during his being in the office but notes they shall be carried out even if he resigns.
TBILISI TO HAVE NEW PREMIER KURKHULI
(Daily News: December 7, 2004)
Tbilisi Mayor’s Office has reported at a special briefing today that capital’s Premier Giorgi Bregadze is living the office and named Temur Kurkhuli, current vice-mayor, as his successor. Bregadze has been premier since April 2004 and will take a new office in a few days.
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