Economic Press Monitor March 6 - 12, 2022	Days:  26 05 12 19 26

economic & politics

NETGAZETI.GE: “2. “RUSSIAN CAPITAL IN GEORGIA” – PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH”

March 11, 2022 - Research, conducted by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), shows that large Russian companies are represented in Georgia in such areas as natural resources, banking, mobile communications.

Examples include RMG Gold and RMG Copper, Borjomi, VTB Bank Georgia, VEON Georgia (Beeline), etc.




FORBES GEORGIA: “84% OF GEORGIAN POPULATION SEE RUSSIA AS ENEMY – “ACT” SURVEY”

March 10, 2022 - Survey, conducted by Georgian research and consulting company ACT, shows that absolute majority of the Georgian population (84%) believes that Russia is Georgia’s enemy.

Share of those, who do not share the opinion that “Russia is the enemy”, does not exceed 11%, while 5% do not know the answer to this question.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “RUSSIA APPROVED LIST OF “UNFRIENDLY COUNTRIES” – GEORGIA IS NOT INCLUDED IN IT”

March 10, 2022 - The Russian government has approved the list of those countries and territories that commit “unfriendly actions” against Russia, the newspaper reports.

This list includes Ukraine, the UK, EU countries, the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, etc.




TABULA: “THE US HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE APPROVED THE ACT ON SUPPORT TO GEORGIA”

March 7, 2022 - The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has approved an act supporting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Georgia, Tabula reports.

The article notes that at the next stage, the bill must be approved at the plenary session of the House of Representatives, and then it will be submitted to the US Senate for approval.




NETGAZETI.GE: “MIGRATION FROM RUSSIA TO GEORGIA AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS”

March 7, 2022 - After the Russian government started a full-scale war against Ukraine, more and more citizens are leaving Russia. As an end or a temporary stop, those who want to leave the country choose neighboring countries, including Georgia, the article says.




FORBES GEORGIA: “DOES GEORGIA HAVE A REAL CHANCE TO OBTAIN STATUS OF THE EU MEMBERSHIP CANDIDATE?”

March 7, 2022 - On March 1, the Georgian government still clearly indicated that Georgia was not ready for EU membership and the process would begin in 2024. However, on March 2, the ruling Georgian Dream declared that an application for EU membership was being already in preparation, while on March 3, Georgia submitted application for the EU membership.

macroeconomics & budget

REZONANSI: “LARI RODE OUT ANOTHER STORM AND STARTS STRENGTHENING – IT BECOMES KNOWN TO WHAT EXTENT THE EXCHANGE RATE “WILL DECREASE””

March 11, 2022 - Because of negative expectations, lari significantly depreciated against the US dollar last week, TBC Capital notes and does not exclude that depreciation has already reached its peak. Referring to existing macroeconomic forecast, the company indicates that further depreciation of the lari is less likely.




FORBES GEORGIA: “WHAT IMPACT WILL RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR HAVE ON GEORGIAN ECONOMY?”

March 9, 2022 - In the long term, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine will have a negative impact on Georgian economy in three directions, the magazine suggests.

First, Russia and Ukraine are important economic partners of Georgia; second, a region at war is unattractive for investors; third, sanctions against Russia will negatively affect economy in global scale, including Georgia.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““GEORGIAN LARI DEPRECIATED MORE THAN UKRAINIAN HRYVNA!””

March 7, 2022 - “Georgian lari has depreciated more than Ukrainian hryvna!”, Paata Bayrakhtari, vice president of Georgian Young Businessmen and Financiers Association, posted in social media.

The currency of Ukraine, where is at war, has depreciated against the US dollar by 10% on average over the past 2 weeks, while the Georgian lari has depreciated over this period by almost 14%, Bayrakhtari pointed.

energy, oil & gas

NETGAZETI.GE: “PETROL WILL RISE IN PRICE EVEN MORE – VANO MTVRALASHVILI”

March 9, 2022 - Regular petrol costs in Georgia 3.26-3.31 lari per liter on average now, Premium – 3.37-3.45 lari, while Super – 3.45-3.49 lari, the article says.

Vano Mtvralashvili, head of Georgian Oil-Products Importers Union, indicates that after Russia started the war in Ukraine, fuel prices increased by 20-30 tetri on average.

companies

TABULA: ““EUROPEAN GEORGIA” TO “GEORGIAN AIRWAYS”: GEORGIA IS NOT RUSSIA’S LOOPHOLE”

March 9, 2022 - Georgian Airways has added on its web site on option to pay ticket price through payment system Mir for Russian citizens, which will help them avoid sanctions, Tabula says.

In an interview with Radio Liberty, head of the Georgian airline Tamaz Gaiashvili stated: “I am interested in selling tickets, while how they will be sold, does not bother me at all”.

transport & communications

FORBES GEORGIA: “THE BLACK SEA CONTAINER MARKET AND IMPACT OF RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR ON CONTAINER TRANSPORTATION IN THE REGION”

March 7, 2022 - In 2021, turnover of container transportation in the Black Sea region has increased by 3% compared to 2020, the magazine reports. The article notes that the growth was recorded in all countries of the region, except Georgia, where the decline exceeded 12%.

ecology & health

NETGAZETI.GE: “ON APRIL 6, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE LAST 2 YEARS, NO ONE DIED FROM COVID IN GEORGIA”

March 7, 2022 - On April 6, for the first time since summer 2020, no one died from COVID-19 in Georgia, Netgazeti.Ge reports.

The first patient in Georgia died from COVID-19 in April 2020, and since then, that disease killed a total of 16,765 people in the country.

agriculture & food

NETGAZETI.GE: ““THERE IS NO GROUND FOR PANIC” – WHEAT AND FLOUR ASSOCIATION”

March 10, 2022 - Levan Silagava, executive director of Georgian Wheat and Flour Producers Association, declared that “there are stocks of flour and wheat in the country”, and “there is no ground for panic”.

“The problem is more likely in Georgia, there are shortcomings in supplies from warehouses to supermarkets”, Silagava said.

tourism

REZONANSI: “EVEN SUMMER BOOKINGS ARE CANCELED IN HOTELS”

March 11, 2022 - Maia Sidamonidze, former head of Georgian Tourism Department, declared that “because of the Russia-Ukraine war, problems have arisen in the direction of tourism”.

“Bookings are already being canceled because there is a tense situation in the whole region, so potential visitors are afraid to come to Georgia”, Sidamonidze said.