Economic Press Monitor September 3 - 9, 2017	Days:  12 19 09 16 23

economic & politics

REZONANSI: “NOW, THEY TRY TO ALIENATE OUR LAND TO FOREIGNERS BY MEANS OF BANKS”

September 8, 2017 - The newspaper reports that voting on draft bill, connected with possession of agricultural land, which had to be held in the Parliament in accelerated way on September 7, was postponed for September 20.

According to the draft, the government will have the right in special cases to sell land to foreigners.




NETGAZETI.GE: “GEORGIA’S INSTRUCTION TO AMERICAN LOBBYISTS”

September 8, 2017 - During 2017, administration of the Georgian government has signed contracts with two firms in Washington, DC on conducting of lobbyist activity in favor of Georgia, as well as provision of consultations, the newspaper reports.

In particular, verbal agreement with Rasky Partners was concluded in May, which was originally calculated on 3 months and envisaged total payment of $90,000, but was extended then until end of 2017.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““REFORMETR” – HOW ECONOMIC REFORMS IN GEORGIA ARE GOING”

September 7, 2017 - Online platform Reformetr, new product of International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET), has assessed 3 reforms by the moment. Aggregated assessment of the government makes up 4.68 points out of 10 possible ones, the newspaper reports.




LIBERALI: “COMPANY CONTRIBUTOR OF “GEORGIAN DREAM” IS AFFILIATED WITH FORMER DIRECTOR OF “RMG COPPER””

September 7, 2017 - In August, there were 4 companies among donors of Georgian Dream, which donations amounted to or exceeded 100,000 lari, the magazine reports. As the article indicates, one of them, HE-Rental, is associated with former director of JSC RMG Copper.




REZONANSI: “WHO AND WHY ENDOWS MONEY TO “GEORGIAN DREAM””

September 7, 2017 - State Audit Service reported that greatest donations in August were received by ruling Georgian Dream party – 4.5 million lari.

Among sponsors of ruling force and exactly those businessmen, who donated earlier considerable sums to former ruling party, National Movement, and also those persons, who in exchange for generous 5-digit donations will appear soon in the ranks of members of sakrebulo (local councils) from Georgian Dream, the newspaper says.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “RESTRICTION ESTABLISHED BY LAW ON ACQUISITION OF FARMLANDS WILL NOT BE EXTENDED TO COMMERCIAL BANKS”

September 6, 2017 - Restriction on acquisition of farmlands, set by law, will not be extended to commercial banks, the newspaper reports. Besides, the restrictions will also not be extended to special cases, which will be determined by decision of the government.




NETGAZETI.GE: “IN AUGUST, BIGGEST DONATIONS WERE RECEIVED BY “DREAM”, “EUROPEAN GEORGIA” AND ELISASHVILI”

September 6, 2017 - Referring to service of financial monitoring of State Audit Service, Netgazeti.Ge reports that ruling Georgian Dream has received biggest donations for August. The sum (monetary and non-monetary donations and membership fees) made up 4.56 million lari.




TABULA: “ALEXANDER JEJELAVA’S COMPANY RECEIVED 419,000 LARI FROM THE BUDGET”

September 5, 2017 - After appointment of Alexander Jejelava as Minister of Education and Science, his company Academy of Management has received 419,000 lari from the budget as a result of tenders and simplified purchases, Tabula reports. Director general of the company is Jejelava’s wife Natalia Mukhadgverdeli.




REZONANSI: “OBTAINING GEORGIAN CITIZENSHIP WILL BE COMPLICATED FOR FOREIGNERS”

September 4, 2017 - Criteria to change for assignment of Georgian citizenship in exceptional order, the newspaper reports.

Administration of the President declares that number of persons, who want to obtain citizenship, grows more and more, the article points.

macroeconomics & budget

TABULA: “KUMSISHVILI: CHANGE OF RATE IN PRINCIPAL CASES DOES NOT DEPEND ON GEORGIA”

September 8, 2017 - “Change of course in principal cases does not depend on Georgia”, Finance Minister Dimitri Kumsishvili declares.

It is more important for the population that costs of production and loans’ servicing not to raise, the Minister points.




REZONANSI: “PREPARATION OF SPECULATIVE ATTACK ON LARI IS UNDERWAY”

September 7, 2017 - Analyst Paata Bairakhtari specifies that currently, in economy “there is no such situation that national currency depreciates”. “Such depreciation during a week and then strengthening by 3 tetri is not caused by economic processes”, he considers.




REZONANSI: “LARI ENERVATED, PRODUCTS TO RISE IN PRICE BY 5-10% SOON”

September 6, 2017 - In recent days, lari has depreciated by 4.5% and reached already mark of 2.5 GEL/USD, the newspaper reports.

Despite sharp falling, both National Bank of Georgia and the government are keeping silence so far and the only comment was made by Deputy Minister of Economy Nino Javakhadze, the article notes.




NETGAZETI.GE: “WHY LARI DEPRECIATES, DESPITE THE GROWN TOURISM”

September 5, 2017 - Economist Beso Namchavadze points that “sea season comes to the end, number of tourists and, respectively, inflow of dollars has starting to decrease”. Process of tourists’ leaving of the country will affect currency market even more in September-October, he says.




REZONANSI: “AFTER ELECTIONS, LARI RATE WILL EXCEED 2.6?”

September 5, 2017 - Georgian currency depreciates, when there are almost no factors, provoking devaluation in the country, the newspaper states. The rate, which made up 2.39 GEL/USD just a few time ago, now exceeds 2.46 GEL/USD, the article indicates.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “NATIONAL INACTION PLAN?”

September 4, 2017 - Frequent fires showed once more the need of procurement of lacked fire-fighting equipment and renovation of outdated one, the newspaper states.

Strategic plan of the governmental envisages procurement of modern fire-fighting and rescue vehicles and allotment of 37.4 million lari for that end, however funds in this year’s budget are not envisaged, the newspaper reports.

energy, oil & gas

LIBERALI: “REASONS OF COLLAPSE OF TUNNEL OF “SHUAKHEVHES” ARE STUDIED, POPULATION ASKS FOR HELP”

September 5, 2017 - Minor section of diversion tunnel of ShuakhevHES was collapsed, Liberali reports with reference to the hydroelectric station’s investor company Acharistskali Georgia.

The company declares that drainage of the tunnel is underway, after which it will be possible to examine the site and to establish the collapse reason.

companies

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “IT IS POSSIBLE THAT “SILKNET” TO ACQUIRE COMPANY “GEOCELL””

September 6, 2017 - Referring to Sakmiani Dila (Business Morning, program of TV company Maestro), the newspaper reports that Silk Road Group is interested in acquisition of mobile operator Geocell.

Lekso Topuria, supervisory council member of Silk Road Group, said that communication operator SilkNet (member of the Group) plans to issue bonds.

transport & communications

REZONANSI: “ALL ROADS IN GEORGIA WILL BE TOLL-FREE”

September 8, 2017 - Chairman of Roads Department Giorgi Seturidze declares that “there are no considerations regarding paid roads yet”. “I confirm that study is underway.

finances & banking

NETGAZETI.GE: “CYBER-INSURANCE – INNOVATION FROM INSURANCE COMPANY “UNISON””

September 4, 2017 - Insurance company Unison is the first in Georgia, which offers insurance of cyber risks, Netgazeti.Ge reports.

As deputy director general of the company Nino Bokuchava declares, “We created our offer together with European reinsurance company of A+ class”.

agriculture & food

NETGAZETI.GE: “INFESTATION OF BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG, DESTROYED CROP AND THE GOVERNMENT IN HOPE FOR INTERNATIONAL AID”

September 7, 2017 - Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili said that damage, inflicted to Georgia by brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), has to become subject for international alarm.

Agriculture Ministry declared that with assistance of the EU, studying of the pest will begin that will facilitate to develop of effective fight methodology against the pest.

construction

REZONANSI: “MOST PART OF NEW BUILDINGS WILL NOT SUSTAIN EVEN FOR 40 YEARS”

September 5, 2017 - Anzor Sakandelidze, head of organization Construction without Falsification, indicates that standard duration of the building operation makes up about 100 years, “however that applies only to cases, when standards are observed and materials are passed laboratory examination”. “At us, not a single condition is met, especially after conducted mass privatization of residential apartments”, he declares.

tourism

FORBES GEORGIA: “EFFECT OF TOURISM”

September 5, 2017 - Beka Jakeli, European regional program coordinator at the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), says that Georgia has to carry out serious marketing campaign “taking into account a factor of highly profitable society” in such markets, as: in Europe – Germany, the UK, France and Italy; in Asia – China, Japan and South Korea; in North America – the US and Canada, in Latin America – Argentina.

“In parallel with it, the country has to continue marketing campaign in neighboring countries, in a number of Eastern European countries and in the Middle East region”, Jakeli notes.




NETGAZETI.GE: “1.5M LARI FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF CELLS AND PRAYERS’ HOUSE AT KATSKHIS SVETI”

September 4, 2017 - Georgian Municipal Development Fund announced tender for construction/reconstruction of cells and building of visitors’ service in Katskhis Sveti (Katskhi Pillar), Netgazeti.Ge reports. Financing, envisaged for that end, amounts to 1.54 million lari.