Economic Press Monitor March 4 - 10, 2018	Days:  24 03 10 17 24

economic & politics

TABULA: “ENTRY IN SCHENGEN AREA WAS REFUSED TO 0.34% OF GEORGIAN CITIZENS”

March 9, 2018 - As of February 16, number of Georgian citizens, who tried to travel to the EU, made up 230,944, Tabula reports with reference to Georgian Interior Ministry. At that, 802 citizens were returned from border that makes up 0.34% of total number.




TABULA: “FRENCH AMBASSADOR: WE DO NOT WANT TO PUNISH DECENT PEOPLE BECAUSE OF BAD HABIT OF CRIMINALS”

March 7, 2018 - French ambassador in Georgia Pascal Meunier considers shocking growth of crimes, committed in European countries by asylum applicants from Georgia, Tabula reports.

“Perhaps, part of the [EU] countries will raise a question of the suspension mechanism [for the visa waiver], however France does not plan to do this at this stage “, the ambassador declared in air of Rustavi-2 TV company.




FORBES GEORGIA: “IMF: GEORGIA’S TAX REFORM IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE WORLD”

March 6, 2018 - The IMF names Georgia among 5 countries, which had conducted the best tax reform, the magazine reports.

The IMF indicates that after disintegration of the Soviet Union, collection of taxes was one of Georgia’s problems.




FORBES GEORGIA: “WHO TRADES BY MEANS OF E-AUCTION IN GEORGIA”

March 5, 2018 - Among participants of electronic auction (e-auction) in Georgia, resident individuals make up 84.8%, while non-resident individuals – 0.8%, the magazine reports. Remained 14.4% is share of legal entities.

macroeconomics & budget

TABULA: “GIORGI GAKHARIA: SALARIES OF POLICE OFFICERS ARE INADEQUATE”

March 5, 2018 - “It is impossible that 800 lari could be adequate salary for person, who is responsible for life, safety, health of other citizen and carries out the duties conscientiously”, Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia declares.

Gakharia declared the mentioned in program Akhali Kvira (New Week) of First Channel (Public Broadcaster) and noted that “main goal of reform in the Interior Ministry was optimization in civil component”.

energy, oil & gas

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““TELASI” NEITHER REDUCED TARIFFS, NOR FULFILLED OBLIGATION”

March 9, 2018 - Member of Energy Academy Temur Chichinadze considers that “the state can freely achieve reduction of tariffs [on electricity] not through direct intervention, but demanding those obligations”, which the companies have.

As Chichinadze explains, TELASI (energy distributor of Tbilisi) had investment obligations, which it had fulfilled by 2007, after which the tariff had to decrease.




REZONANSI: “TERM OF GAS PIPES’ OPERATION EXPIRED TWICE!”

March 6, 2018 - Soso Simonishvili, former first deputy director of KazTransGas-Tbilisi (Tbilisi gas distributor company), declares that “there is really many places in Tbilisi, where gas leaks”, “but we do not feel [the smell] because of low concentration of odorant”.

Term of operation of gas pipes makes up 30 years, Simonishvili specifies and notes that “term of operation of Tbilisi gas system has been twice expired”.




LIBERALI: “ALAVIDZE ON “NENSKRAHES”: THIS IS PRIVATE INVESTMENT. I THINK, THE INVESTOR AND THE POPULATION WILL AGREE”

March 6, 2018 - On March 4, representatives of all communities of Svaneti (the mountain region) gathered in the center of Mestia (center of the region) and decided to continue protest actions against construction of NenskraHES, the magazine reports.

While commenting on Svaneti population’s protest against construction of the hydroelectric station, the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Zurab Alavidze declared: “There is private investment underway and I think that the private investor and the population will agree”.

companies

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““CHATEAU MUKHRANI” STARTS REHABILITATION OF MUKHRANBATONI PALACE AND PLANS TO BRING NEW WINES ON THE MARKET”

March 7, 2018 - Giorgi Abkhazava, global brand manager of winemaking company Chateau Mukhrani, says that 375,000 bottles were sold in 2017, of which 40% (150,000 bottles) – in Georgia.

Russia accounts for 50% of total export of the company, the rest is delivered to Ukraine, China and in smaller volumes – to the US, European countries, neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, Abkhazava reports.




TABULA: ““INTERMEDIA”: IN 2017, MARKET OF TELEVISION ADVERTISING DECLINED”

March 5, 2018 - Zurab Gumbaridze, executive director of advertising company Intermedia, declares that market of television advertising declined in 2017 by 11% and its volume made up 68 million lari.

At the same time, National Communication Commission reports the volume of 89 million lari.

transport & communications

REZONANSI: “THERE IS TOTAL OUTRAGE ON INTERNET MARKET”

March 9, 2018 - Mikhail Gotoshia, chairman of board of Small and Medium Telecom Operators Association, indicates need of settlement of big difference between retail and wholesale tariffs in Georgia.

“Such difference between retail and wholesale tariffs causes essentially hampers the sphere”, Gotoshia declares.




TABULA: “GNCC: THERE WAS DUMPING SERVICE FROM THE DIRECTION OF “MAGTICOM” AND “GEOCELL””

March 7, 2018 - Referring to conducted analysis, chairman of Georgian National Communication Commission (GNCC) Kakha Bekauri declared that at the consolidated tender for mobile communications service for public servants, “there was a dumping service from the direction” of MagtiCom and Geocell “that is punishable by Georgian legislation”. The Commission cannot tell at what expense the companies carried out subsidizing, as this information is not known, he noted.




NETGAZETI.GE: “BEKAURI: LARGE GLOBAL INTERNET PROVIDERS WILL ENTER GEORGIA”

March 7, 2018 - Chairman of the National Communication Commission Kakha Bekauri declares that the Commission works on bringing large global Internet providers on Georgian market.

According to Bekauri, these companies already conduct negotiations with local providers of fixed Internet.




TABULA: “32% OF CARS, WHICH WERE BROUGHT FOR EXAMINATION, COULD NOT MEET REQUIREMENT OF CHECKUP”

March 6, 2018 - Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Nikoloz Cherkezishvili says that 32% of those cars, which were brought for checkup since the beginning of year, could not meet requirements, so 1 month was given to their owners for errors’ correction.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, errors are observed mainly in brakes, exhaust, headlights and light reflectors.

international cooperation

REZONANSI: “GEORGIA LOSES FROM THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT”

March 6, 2018 - During past 9 years, Georgia’s export to Turkey in a free trade format (respective agreement is effective since 2009) did not grow, but import from this country grows instead, the newspaper states.

Free trade agreement with China has entered in force 2 months ago.

construction

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “COLLAPSED PYRAMID – ACTIONS STARTED AGAINST COMPANY “SVETI””

March 9, 2018 - Construction company Sveti (Pillar, operates since June 2015) declared about impossibility to finish construction of houses on Mirtskhulava Street in Tbilisi.

There are only two floors built, whereas owners had to enter their apartments in December 2017, the article specifies.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “HOW UNAUTHORIZED CONSTRUCTIONS WERE LEGALIZED”

March 5, 2018 - Supervision Service of the City Hall of Tbilisi reported that proceedings on construction offenses against 160 entities were launched from January 1 to February 28.

Out of this number, inspection statement was drawn up on 84 entities, while on 43 entities resolutions were adopted.

tourism

FORBES GEORGIA: “WORLD BANK: GEORGIA BECAME COMPETITIVE TOURIST DESTINATION”

March 9, 2018 - Report of the World Bank (WB) states that “in recent years, Georgia became the competitive tourist destination”, the magazine says.

The WB estimates that the country can enhance income from winter resorts through development of so-called MICE tourism, Wellness and Spa directions.