Daily News April 29, 2022	Days:  27 28 29 02 03

politics

“WASTE DETECTOR”: IN 8 MONTHS OF 2021, GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT SPENT ON “BLACK SEA ARENA” 3 TIMES MORE THAN ON HUMANITARIAN AID TO UKRAINIAN PEOPLE

Waste Detector (media project of Georgian non-governmental organization Governance Monitoring Center (GMC)) reported that in 8 months of 2021, the Georgian government spent on Black Sea Arena concert complex 3 times more than on humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine.

In particular, the organization specified that subsidy, issued from the state budget to Black Sea Arena in the reporting period, totaled to 3.27 million lari, while for entire 2020 – 3.52 million lari.




“TI GEORGIA”: RECIPIENTS OF THE STATE SUBSIDY DURING RTVELI ENJOY STATE BENEFITS AND ARE ALSO DONORS OF RULING “GEORGIAN DREAM”

The study, conducted by TI Georgia, Georgian branch of Transparency International, shows that the recipient companies of subsidy, which the state issues during rtveli (vintage), receive also grants from the state program “Produce in Georgia” and use preferential agricultural loans. At the same time, these companies are donors of Georgian Dream, donating in 2016-2021 a total of 3.63 million lari to the ruling party.




GEORGIAN ECONOMY MINISTER: SIGNING FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH THE US WOULD BE A CLEAR MESSAGE ABOUT GROWTH OF US ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN OUR REGION

Levan Davitashvili, Georgia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, declared that signing of a free trade agreement with the US would be “a clear message about growth of US economic interests in our region”.

For Georgia, the main direction of economic policy is strengthening of economic relations with the EU and the US, the Minister pointed today at a meeting with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia.




GEORGIA SIGNED A DECLARATION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET

Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development reported that the country has signed a Declaration for the Future of the Internet (DFI). As the Ministry said, the signing took place in the US, at the White House, in a hybrid form, on April 28.

economics

IN Q1, GEORGIA’S AVERAGE REAL GDP GROWTH MADE UP 14.4%

Sakstat released estimation, according to which Georgia’s average real GDP growth in the 1^st quarter made up 14.4%. In March, if compared with the same month of last year, the growth made up 10.6%.




IN Q1, NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITS ISSUED IN GEORGIA INCREASED BY 15.4% Y-O-Y

Sakstat reported that according to officially declared data, 2,229 construction permits were issued countrywide in the 1^st quarter. If compared with the same period of last year, the number has increased by 15.4%, the Georgian statistics service said.

business

“IDS BORJOMI GEORGIA” SUSPENDED BOTTLING OF “BORJOMI”

Today, IDS Borjomi Georgia suspended the production process at its 2 plants in Georgia, bottling Borjomi mineral water.

The company explained the move by problems, caused by military hostilities in Ukraine.

society

IN 2021, GEORGIA’S POPULATION DECREASED BY 1.1%

Sakstat reported that as of January 1, the population of Georgia (excluding occupied territories) made up 3.69 million. If compared with the same period of 2021, the showing has decreased by 1.1%.