Economic Press Monitor March 3 - 9, 2019	Days:  23 02 09 16 23

economic & politics

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “THE COUNTRY CANNOT COPE WITH SMUGGLED TOBACCO”

March 7, 2019 - Cigarettes without excise marks are brought to Georgia bypassing customs rules and they cost by 40-50% cheaper than a legal product, the newspaper says.

In this term, the most deplorable situation is in the Western Georgia, where smuggled goods enter from several directions, including from uncontrollable territory, the article specifies.




TABULA: “LAWYER: WITH STATEMENT ON REVENGE, KHAZARADZE FULFILLED ONE OF POINTS OF GAKHARIA’S LETTER”

March 7, 2019 - Zviad Kordzadze, lawyer of founder of TBC Bank Mamuka Khazaradze, declared that statement concerning danger of revenge-seeking in the country, which Khazaradze released before the second round of presidential elections (November 2018), was made for fulfillment of one of demands of the letter of Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia.

Lawyer of Khazaradze said this on air of TV Pirveli and pointed that he considers fulfillment of this demand as mistake of Khazaradze.




TABULA: “KADAGIDZE: I SUPPORT CREATION OF TEMPORARY PARLIAMENTARY INVESTIGATIVE COMMISSION ON “TBC” CASE”

March 7, 2019 - “Proceeding from importance of the case, I support creation of the temporary parliamentary investigative commission” on the case of TBC Bank, former president of National Bank of Georgia Giorgi Kadagidze posted on Facebook.

Georgian Prosecutor’s Office called Kadagidze for interrogation on the case of TBC Bank, but he refused to appear, Tabula reports (Kadagidze declared that he will give public evidences directly in court).




TABULA: “KHAZARADZE: ORIGINAL LETTER WITH THREATS OF GAKHARIA IS SENT TO LONDON FOR EXAMINATION”

March 6, 2019 - Founder of TBC Bank Mamuka Khazaradze asserts that before the second round of Georgia’s presidential elections (November 2018), Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia sent him the threatening letter. “Original letter is sent to London for examination”, while its copy is presented to Georgian Prosecutor’s Office, he said.




NETGAZETI.GE: “THIS IS THE TEST FOR JUDICIARY AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT – THE UN COORDINATOR ON “TBC””

March 5, 2019 - Louisa Vinton, resident representative of the UN Development Program (UNDP) in Georgia, declared that case of TBC Bank is “a certain test for judicial system, business environment and regulating systems of Georgia”.

“We expect result, which will be transparent and reliable”, Vinton pointed.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “I WAS BLACKMAILED BY THE STATEMENT OF NATIONAL BANK PRESIDENT…”

March 4, 2019 - Last week, Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Branch Economy and Economic Policy failed to hold a meeting, at which it was planned to hear sides, involved in investigative process around TBC Bank.

Chairman of the Committee Roman Kakulia declares that failure of this meeting was caused by the statement of president of National Bank of Georgia (NBG): “I am ready to tell everything, while you undertake responsibility for consequences”.

macroeconomics & budget

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““DISADVANTAGEOUS GIFT” “BLACK SEA ARENA” IS PASSED IN MANAGEMENT TO EDUCATION MINISTRY”

March 6, 2019 - Georgian government decided to pass LLC Black Sea Arena with the right of management to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, the newspaper reports.

At that, post of the company head is vacant since Anna Kavlelishvili was appointed deputy director general in the state-owned Company for Mountain Development, the article notes.




TABULA: “AFTER CIGARETTES, CUT TOBACCO COULD RISE IN PRICE TOO”

March 4, 2019 - Akaki Zoidze, chairman of Georgian Parliament’s Healthcare Committee, declared that World Health Organization urges Georgia to raise excise on cut tobacco too.

Zoidze urged the government to complete procedures for accession of Georgia to the respective convention, Tabula reports.

transport & communications

REZONANSI: “ANAKLIA PORT, CHANGING GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION AND IMPORTANCE OF GEORGIA”

March 7, 2019 - Works on construction of Anaklia port were officially started on December 24, 2017, while the port should receive first vessels in 2021 and pass up to 100 million t of freights annually, the newspaper says.

The article brings comments on the project of Anaklia port, provided by security expert Nika Chitadze and founder of Policy Institute Korneli Kakachia.




REZONANSI: “FROM NOW ON, REGULATIONS OF CARS’ CHECKUP BECOME TOUGHER – WHAT “SURPRISE” EXPECTS DRIVERS?”

March 6, 2019 - Referring to Georgian Land Transport Agency, the newspaper reports that from now on, regulations related to cars’ checkup become tougher.

According to the Agency, in case of revealed excessive exhausts because of the wrong combustion of fuel, the car will not be able to pass the checkup.

ecology & health

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “AKAKI ZOIDZE – THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE RISE IN PRICE OF SMOKING TOBACCO”

March 6, 2019 - Akaki Zoidze, chairman of Georgian Parliament’s Committee for Healthcare and Social Issues, considers that “there should not be cheap and affordable tobacco”.

As Zoidze points, after increase of cigarettes in price, citizens instead of reducing smoking, started to buy a cheap product – packed smoking tobacco.

finances & banking

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “DAVID ONOPRISHVILI: WE WILL NOT ALLOW MARKET DOMINATION OF ONE OR TWO COMPANIES”

March 5, 2019 - The newspaper publishes interview of new head of Georgian State Service for Insurance Supervision David Onoprishvili, which he gave to Georgian FM Kommersant.

Among activities of the current year, a priority is process of European harmonization, Onoprishvili declares.




TABULA: “KHAZARADZE ON DEBTS’ ZEROING: WE WERE FORCED TO WRITE OFF PORTFOLIO OF 120M FOR 3M”

March 5, 2019 - Founder of TBC Bank Mamuka Khazaradze said that the bank received 3 million lari for zeroing of overdue credit portfolio of 120 million lari, Tabula reports. “We did not consider that these 120 million were subjected to zeroing”, he pointed.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “IRAKLI MANAGADZE IS APPOINTED THE CHAIRMAN OF SUPERVISORY COUNCIL OF “SILK ROAD BANK””

March 4, 2019 - Former president of National Bank of Georgia Irakli Managadze, who since last summer was independent member of supervisory council of Silk Road Bank, is appointed the chairman of the council instead of David Borger, the newspaper reports.

Borger himself maintains his membership of the council.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “102.5M LARI ON SUPPORT OF STARTUPS – PROGRAM OF “TBC BANK” IS OF 2 YEARS”

March 4, 2019 - For 2 years of operation, the startup-supporting program of TBC Bank issued over 102.5 million lari, the newspaper reports. Beneficiaries of the program are about 25,000 startup businessmen.