Daily News July 23, 2020	Days:  21 22 23 24 27

politics

PRIME MINISTER: SHARP GROWTH OF COVID-19 CASES IS FIXED IN THE COUNTRY

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia declared that “sharp growth of infection” with COVID-19 is fixed in the country.

“Yesterday, we had 24 cases of infection, today – 12”, the Premier said at the government meeting today and noted: “In spite of the fact that we are on top of situation and control speed of virus spread, we must show extreme care”.




GEORGIA RESUMES DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

After a 4-month pause, domestic flights are resumed in Georgia, Georgian Airports Association reported. As the Association points, ticket prices did not change in comparison with 2019.




GEORGIAN SIDE OFFERS “FRONTERA” TO CONTINUE ACTIVITY ON 1% OF THE CONTRACT AREA

Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development reported that the country’s government decided not to terminate contract with the US oil company Frontera.

As the Ministry specified, the company is offered an opportunity to continue activity on that part of the contract area, where oil extraction was carried out already since the Soviet period.

economics

THE GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES UP TO 40M LARI FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES HOSPITAL

We decided to allocate up to 40 million lari for Tbilisi Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center, Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia reported at the government meeting today.

As the Premier noted, Tbilisi infectious diseases hospital operates already for decades in amortized building.




NBG SOLD $269.65M SINCE START OF THE YEAR

National Bank of Georgia (NBG) sold $40 million at the currency auction on July 22. Average weighted exchange rate made up 3.0585 GEL/USD.




BUSINESS ENTITIES TO BE ALLOWED TO ADDRESS THE STATE PROPERTY AGENCY FOR MODIFICATION OF OBLIGATIONS AND WRITE-OFF OF PENALTIES

Natia Turnava, Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, declared that business entities, which had obstacles because of state of emergency, imposed by the country’s government in connection with COVID-19 pandemic, will be allowed to address the National Agency of State Property and request modification of obligations and write-off of penalties.

The matter concerns obstacles in fulfillment of obligations, undertaken under agreements on privatization, rent, state property management, etc.




OZURGETI WAS SELECTED AS PILOT MUNICIPALITY FOR INTERNETIZATION PROJECT

First pilot project of internetization will be implemented in Ozurgeti municipality (Guria region), Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Natia Turnava reported after the government meeting today.

According to Turnava, construction of net infrastructure in this municipality has to be completed until end of the current year.




AS OF JUNE, NUMBER OF ATMS INCREASED BY 9.3% Y-O-Y

National Bank of Georgia reported that at the end of June, there were 2,642 ATMs in the country. The number has increased by 2.9% (by 75 devices) quarter-on-quarter, by 4.4% (by 111 devices) – since start of the year, and by 9.3% (by 225 devices) year-on-year.

business

IN 2019, NET INCOME OF “TBC PAY” INCREASED BY 14%

TBC Bank reported that its affiliated operator of instant payment terminals TBC Pay had net income of 35.1 million lari in 2019. According to the audited report of the bank, the volume has increased in comparison with 2018 by 14%.




IN 2019, NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS BY “ERTGULI CARD” OF “TBC BANK” INCREASED BY 41.7%

As of December 31, 2019, number of holders of Ertguli card of TBC Bank totaled to 1.5 million.

According to audited report of the bank, 85 million transactions were carried out in 2019 by means of these cards, upon payment through POS terminals.




“KARTLI TEXTILE” TO SEW UNIFORM FOR BRITISH AND GERMAN FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Management of Kartli Textile declared that in October, the company will start making of uniform for British and German football players. In 2021, teams of Liverpool, Chelsea and Dortmund will play in Georgia-made uniform, bearing inscription “Made in Georgia”, the company pointed.