Daily News March 17, 2020	Days:  13 16 17 18 19

politics

PRIME MINISTER: FROM THE STAGE OF CORONAVIRUS SUSPENSION, WE PASS TO THE SPREAD STAGE

Today, we already pass in fact from the stage of coronavirus suspension to the spread stage that means that cases will increase in number, Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia declared today.

At the meeting today, interdepartmental coordination council of the country’s government decided to forbid since March 18 operation of share taxis, including those in regions and inter-city routes, as a measure of prevention of coronavirus spread.




FOR PREVENTION OF CORONAVIRUS SPREAD, THE PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SUGGESTS TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS FOR QUARANTINE VIOLATORS

At the meeting of Georgian Parliament’s bureau today, chairman Archil Talakvadze announced the initiative of introduction of additional sanctions against violators of quarantine as a measure of prevention of coronavirus spread.

“I want to ask the majority leader to study possibility of the legislative initiative, which we will consider in accelerated mode”, Talakvadze declared.




ECONOMY MINISTER: WE URGE WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS AND RETAILERS NOT TO BUILD BUSINESS PLANS ON COMMON DIFFICULTIES – WE WILL STRICTLY CHECK IT

Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava urged large wholesale distributors and retail trade companies “not to use the created situation, speculative demand and not to build business plans on common difficulties”.

The Minister declared this after the meeting with distribution companies today and stressed: “We will strictly check it”.




IN INDEX OF “HERITAGE FOUNDATION”, GEORGIA IMPROVED THE RANKING BY 4 POSITIONS

In the Economic Freedom Index of 2020, Heritage Foundation placed Georgia on the 12^th position among 186 countries that is by 4 positions better than the country’s ranking of 2019. Georgia’s overall score makes up 77.1, increasing by 1.2 points.

economics

HEAD OF WHEAT AND FLOUR PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION: IN RESPECT OF WHEAT STOCK, SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY IS STABLE

In respect of wheat stock, situation in Georgia is stable, executive director of Georgian Wheat and Flour Producers Association Levan Silagava assured. “Bread price is also stable”, he noted.




RULE OF RETAIL CREDITING TO CHANGE SINCE APRIL 15

National Bank of Georgia (NBG) made amendments to provision “On Retail Crediting”, which will enter in force on April 15.

“The amendments mean less intervention in crediting micromanagement that will raise role of financial institution’s function of risk management and will increase funds’ accessibility for the solvent population”, NBG declared.




IN AJARA, 4-MONTH GRACE PERIOD TO BE PROVIDED TO BUSINESS FOR FULFILLMENT OF INVESTMENT OBLIGATIONS

Proceeding from situation, created because of coronavirus spread, Ajara government decided to provide a 4-month grace period to business for fulfillment of investment obligations.

While announcing the decision, head of Ajara government Tornike Rizhvadze specified no forfeit will be envisaged for those, having obligations subjected to fulfillment between March 1 and July 1 of this year.




IN Q4 OF 2019, AVERAGE NOMINAL MONTHLY SALARY INCREASED BY 9.8% Y-O-Y

Sakstat reported that average nominal monthly salary in Georgia amounted in the 4^th quarter of 2019 to 1,319 lari, increasing year-on-year by 117.6 lari (by 9.8%). Growth of salaries was observed in almost all sectors, Georgian statistics service specified.

society

EMC: TKIBULI MINERS REFUSE WORK BECAUSE OF DANGEROUS LABOR CONDITIONS

Miners of Dzidziguri mine in Tkibuli are refusing work already for several days because of dangerous labor conditions, Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) reported.

As EMC noted, because of death of 10 miners in 2018, the government decided to suspend operation of Tkibuli mines until German auditor company DMT will assess risks there.