Economic Press Monitor August 6 - 12, 2017	Days:  29 05 12 19 09

economic & politics

NETGAZETI.GE: “KALADZE: PARKING MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE CONDUCTED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES”

August 10, 2017 - Kakha Kaladze, candidate for Tbilisi Mayor’s office from ruling Georgian Dream, considers that “unacceptable and burdened with wrong obligations agreement” was signed with CT Park company, which “brought to Tbilisi penalties and less parking places”.

Kaladze considers that there is need of legal investigation and complex approach in order to find the proper way out.




TABULA: “KALADZE: NIGHT TBILISI NEEDS SAFETY, REGULATIONS, REDISTRIBUTION IN AREAS”

August 9, 2017 - Kakha Kaladze, candidate for Tbilisi Mayor’s office from ruling Georgian Dream, considers that “night Tbilisi needs safety, appropriate regulations (noise, selection of locations)”. Encouragement of startup projects is also necessary, he points.




NETGAZETI.GE: “PARK ON HIPPODROME TERRITORY – UDUMASHVILI’S PLEDGE AND IVANISHVILI’S PROPERTY”

August 9, 2017 - Zaal Udumashvili, candidate for Tbilisi Mayor’s office from opposition National Movement, promises residents of Tbilisi in case of his election to buy-out territory of the former hippodrome and arrange central park there, Netgazeti.Ge reports.

However, the article points that the mentioned territory is in ownership of LLC Invest Capital, and bargains of this territory were concluded with the company at different times by Cartu bank.




REZONANSI: “MORE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ESCAPE VILLAGE LAST YEAR”

August 8, 2017 - In spite of enactment of so-called “mountain bill” in Georgia, which establishes incentives for residents of mountainous areas, and numerous programs for agriculture development, being implemented by the government, rural population of the country decreased nevertheless by 3,000 people for the last year, the newspaper says. As of January 1, Georgia’s rural population has amounted to 1.59 million people.

macroeconomics & budget

FORBES GEORGIA: “HOW RAISE OF EXCISE TAX HAS INCREASED REVENUES OF THE BUDGET”

August 10, 2017 - In the first half of this year, 661 million lari entered the budget from excise tax, exceeding by 34% an indicator of the same period of 2016, the magazine reports.

Growth of excise revenues is caused by increased rate of this tax, the article points.




REZONANSI: “NUMBER OF PENSIONERS QUICKLY GROWS, THE BUDGET WILL NOT SUSTAIN THIS”

August 10, 2017 - For the last 2 years, number of pensioners has increased by 13,000 and made up 458,500 women (a retirement age – 60 years) and 202,400 men (65 years) at the beginning of 2017, the newspaper reports.

Statistician Soso Archvadze considers disturbing for national economy the multiplicity of pensioners, the article specifies.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “THEY CANNOT PROVE SERVICE EXPENSES ON BUFFET RECEPTIONS AND RESTAURANTS…”

August 7, 2017 - Nino Lomjaria, acting head of State Audit Service, says that the Service had conducted 71 audit inspections and studied spending of 10.3 billion lari from the budget in 2016.

Total volume of violations amounted to 71 million lari, Lomjaria reports.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “FUEL STARTED RISING IN PRICE IN RETAIL NETWORK”

August 11, 2017 - Oil-products at unbranded gas stations have increased in price by 3-5 tetri per 1 l, the newspaper reports.

As the article notes, price of crude oil constantly grows on the world market for the last 3 months.

conflict and court

FORBES GEORGIA: ““INTERRAO” SUBMITTED ONE MORE CLAIM AGAINST GEORGIA TO THE WORLD BANK’S CENTER OF LAWSUITS”

August 9, 2017 - Referring to Russian media, the magazine reports that InterRAO has registered a claim against Georgian government in the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The company demands from Georgia to pay $175 million in compensation of losses, caused by devaluation of lari.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “COURT OF DELAYED ACTION FOR BUSINESS”

August 7, 2017 - Protracted court consideration of business lawsuits in unresolved problem for years, the newspaper writes.

Now, narrow specialization of commercial lawsuits is created in civil cases board of Tbilisi city court, which will consider investment and commercial lawsuits for the sum over 500,000 lari.

companies

NETGAZETI.GE: “WATER SUPPLY COMPANY MIGHT BE FINED FOR DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION”

August 11, 2017 - About a month ago, Georgian United Company of Water Supply placed stickers with personal information of consumers on meters, installed at entrances of residential buildings in Kutaisi, Netgazeti.Ge reports.

“The company had intended to place so-called stickers on those meters, which are installed on consumers’ area or in other places, hidden from strangers”, the company explains and assures that “in this particular case, the mistake happened, for which the company apologizes and will correct the above-mentioned fact immediately”.




BATUMELEBI: “AJARA GOVERNMENT EXEMPTS “METRO ATLAS GEORGIA” FROM PENALTIES”

August 10, 2017 - The government of Ajara declared that consent was given to autonomous republic’s Ministry of Finance and Economy on exemption of Metro Atlas Georgia from penalties, imposed for non-fulfillment of obligations, undertaken by the privatization agreement. At the same time, the company will have to fulfill all obligations, envisaged by this agreement (are not specified).




NETGAZETI.GE: “NATIONAL FOOD AGENCY REVEALED CRITICAL DISCREPANCY IN “CARREFOUR” AT “TBILISI MALL””

August 10, 2017 - Customer protection site Momxmarebeli.Ge reported that National Food Agency has checked on August 4 hypermarket Carrefour, located at Tbilisi Mall, and suspended operation of its refrigerating and bakery facilities before correction of critical discrepancy.

The Agency declared to Netgazeti.Ge that Carrefour has fulfilled the recommendations immediately and, respectively, operation of the mentioned facilities is already resumed.




REZONANSI: “BECAUSE OF FREQUENT WATER CUT-OFFS, “GWP” MAY BE SUBJECTED TO FINANCIAL SANCTIONS”

August 9, 2017 - Because of frequent interruptions in water supply in Tbilisi, energy ombudsman Salome Vardiashvili applied for reaction to National Energy and Water Supply Regulating Commission, which official position will become known in near future. The newspaper does not exclude imposition of financial sanctions on GWP (water supply and sewerage company of Tbilisi).




TABULA: “MANAGING HOLDING OF “CAUCASUS” AND OTHER LARGE COMPANIES TO HOLD LOTTERY”

August 8, 2017 - CBS Group, one of the largest business holdings in Georgia, won permission to hold lotteries, Tabula reports.

Company GNL (Georgian National Lottery), which got the license for the period until 2027, will start carrying out draws in September, the article says.

transport & communications

REZONANSI: “RAILWAY’S FREIGHTS AND INCOME DECREASE CATASTROPHICALLY”

August 8, 2017 - In 2016, in comparison with 2015, income of Georgian Railway decreased by 23%, while traffic volume – by 16%, the newspaper reports.

Expert Gia Khukhashvili explains that oil transportation had big share in transit corridor of Georgia, while transportations of Azerbaijani oil is carried out in recent years by the pipeline.




FORBES GEORGIA: “AMBITION OF ANAKLIA”

August 8, 2017 - American SSA Marine got the right for 20-year operation of container terminal in Anaklia port.

Robert Waters, vice-president of SSA Marine, declares that his company will join the project in several directions.

international cooperation

FORBES GEORGIA: “COUNTRIES, FROM WHERE PEOPLE COME TO GEORGIA FOR RECEIVING OF HIGHER EDUCATION”

August 11, 2017 - In the current academic year, 8,012 foreign students study in Georgia, the magazine reports. In 2016, there were 6,643 foreign students in the country.

ecology & health

NETGAZETI.GE: “FIRE ON MTATSMINDA IS LOCALIZED – BUSH BURNED DOWN ON 2 HECTARES”

August 9, 2017 - The fire on a slope of Mtatsminda Mountain in Tbilisi arose on August 8, approximately at 22:00.

According to Interior Ministry, investigation is started on Criminal Code’s article on careless damnification.

agriculture & food

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “THE GOVERNMENT’S PARTIAL QUIT FROM RTVELI SUBSIDIZING CAN INFLICT DAMAGE TO THE BRANCH”

August 11, 2017 - This year, the state quits from subsidizing of rtveli (vintage) in Kakheti region, but will keep donate per 2 lari for 1 kg in Racha-Lechkhumi (on Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli varieties, used for making of Khvanchkara wine), the newspaper says.

Expert Gia Khukhashvili considers that the government’s decision on partial quit from subsidizing is wrong.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “ARMY COMPLETELY TURNED TO IMPORTED FOOD”

August 7, 2017 - A couple of weeks ago, it became known that Ukrainian meat will replace the local one in supplies to Georgian army, the newspaper reports.

In particular, the tender, announced by the Defense Ministry’s LLC State Food Provision on 6-month supply of beef to troops, deployed in Eastern Georgia, was won by LLC Ukhvi.