Economic Press Monitor August 6 - 12, 2023	Days:  29 05 12 02 09

economic & politics

REZONANSI: “CONSTRUCTION AND SUPERVISING COMPANIES FOR RIKOTI WERE SELECTED THROUGH INTERNATIONAL TENDER, UNDER STRICT SUPERVISION OF DONORS – GIORGI TSERETELI”

August 11, 2023 - The project of the highway construction through Rikoti Pass is implemented since 2019, and “you will not be able to bring any concrete fact in connection with the corruption deals”, asserts Giorgi Tsereteli, chairman of Georgian Roads Department.

The project is financed by international organizations – World Bank, Asian Development Bank and European Investment Bank.




BATUMELEBI: “THE US IMPOSED SANCTIONS AGAINST “BELAVIA” AIRLINE – WHAT CIVIL AVIATION AGENCY SAYS”

August 11, 2023 - On August 9, the US imposed new sanctions against the Belarusian companies, including state-owned airline Belavia, which conducts flights between Minsk and Tbilisi.

New sanctions will be thoroughly studied and only after that the appropriate reaction will be made, Georgian Civil Aviation Agency said in the statement released on August 10.




REZONANSI: “INTERNATIONAL AUDIT OF RIKOTI CONSTRUCTION MUST BE CONDUCTED URGENTLY – RIKOTI CAN BECOME BIG CATASTROPHE FOR US THEN – MAMUKA KHAZARADZE”

August 10, 2023 - Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of Georgian opposition party Lelo, considers that the international audit in connection with construction of the highway via Rikoti Pass must be conducted urgently. Security, ecological impact, landslide zones, monitoring system, finance should be checked, he specifies.




REZONANSI: “CHEAPENING OF CARS ALREADY STARTED, AND PRICE WILL DECLINE EVEN MORE IN NEAR FUTURE”

August 9, 2023 - Because of sanctions, imposed against Russia, re-export of cars from Georgia is restricted. Sanctions concern all countries, but Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan keep silence, and notification about sanctions was made by Georgia only, the newspaper points.




NETGAZETI.GE: “DAVITASHVILI EXPLAINS ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2018 ON EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS”

August 8, 2023 - Levan Davitashvili, Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, declared in 2018 (when he held a post the minister of environmental protection and agriculture) that in 2-3 years the early warning system will be created on all territory of the country.

After a natural disaster in Shovi (mountain resort in Racha region, where on August 3 a mud stream killed people), this announcement of the Minister became a subject for discussion.




NETGAZETI.GE: “WHAT WE DO [NOT] LEARN FROM PRIMARY ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY ON DISASTER IN SHOVI – THE INTERVIEW”

August 8, 2023 - At a glacier, the large mass was formed, which taking into account a steep slope, went to Shovi (mountain resort in Racha region, where on August 3 a mud stream killed people), Georgian National Environmental Agency said in its preliminary estimate.

Mobilization of the mass, able to cause such disaster, does not happen instantly, considers Lasha Sukhishvili, head of geography department at the Institute of Earth Sciences.

macroeconomics & budget

BATUMELEBI: “200 MILLION FOR OLD BATUMI – THE CITY WHICH LOSES THE BEACH”

August 9, 2023 - Georgian Municipal Development Fund announced tender for carrying out construction and rehabilitation works in historical part of Batumi. Estimated cost of the state procurement makes up 200 million lari.




FORBES GEORGIA: ““SAKAERONAVIGATSIA” ANNOUNCED TENDER FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HELICOPTER HANGAR AND SEARCH-AND-RESCUE OFFICE”

August 8, 2023 - On August 4, LLC Sakaeronavigatsia (Georgian Air Navigation) announced tender for construction of new buildings. Estimated cost of the tender makes up 22.5 million lari.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “FUEL WILL RISE IN PRICE FURTHER – THERE IS BAD TREND GLOBALLY AND GEORGIA CAN CHANGE NOTHING”

August 10, 2023 - After notable growth of oil price on international markets, oil-products in Georgia have increased in price by 0.10-0.15 lari. Currently, Regular petrol at non-branded filling stations costs 2.39 lari (for 1 l), diesel – 2.50 lari.

companies

TABULA: “FUND “CARTU” SOLD “LAGOON VERE” TO LLC “NEO CITY DEVELOPMENT””

August 11, 2023 - Fund Cartu (belongs to elder son of Bidzina Ivanishvili, billionaire founder of ruling Georgian Dream) sold Lagoon Vere (sports complex with swimming pool in the downtown Tbilisi). Since August 10, territory of Lagoon Vere (12,665 square m) is passed into ownership of LLC Neo City Development.

transport & communications

FORBES GEORGIA: “HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN COULD START RUN ON BAKU-TBILISI-ANKARA ROUTE”

August 9, 2023 - The high-speed passenger train could start to run on a route of Baku-Tbilisi-Ankara, the magazine reports with reference to the Azerbaijani sources. The train could be composed of sleepers, made by Swiss Stadler Rail Group.

ecology & health

BATUMELEBI: “74M FOR EARLY WARNING SYSTEM – WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE HAD TO HAVE”

August 10, 2023 - By the beginning of 2019, Georgia had mobilized $74 million for installation of early warning system in basins of 11 rivers. Out of total sum, $38 million were allocated from the budget of the country, while $36 million was international assistance.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “5 PROCESSES, WHICH CAUSED DISASTER, WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE CONCLUSION? – “IN SHOVI, SUCH PHENOMENON WAS NOT RECORDED UNTIL NOW””

August 7, 2023 - During natural disaster in alpine resort Shovi (Oni municipality of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region), 5 processes have coincided, Georgian National Environmental Agency said in its conclusion.

In particular, intensive melting of glaciers and accompanying precipitates triggered dynamics of solid deposit in the gorge, active erosive processes developed, the Agency specified.




REZONANSI: ““BASINS OF RIVERS ARE HEAVILY DEGRADED, THERE ARE LANDSLIDE PROCESSES, 30% OF FORESTS OF ERODED” – WHERE ELSE IS A DANGER OF DEVELOPMENT OF DISASTER”

August 7, 2023 - In Georgia, “basins of rivers are heavily degraded, there are landslide processes”, says Rezo Getiashvili, environmental programs coordinator at the Caucasian Environmental NGOs Network (CENN). At that, “national forests’ inventory showed that about 30% of forests are eroded”, he points.




REZONANSI: “LATEST UPDATES FROM DISASTER ZONE AND WHAT VERSIONS CIRCULATE REGARDING REASONS, WHICH CAUSED THE TRAGEDY”

August 7, 2023 - In the zone of natural disaster (landslide and mud stream) in alpine resort Shovi (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region), 18 people perished, while search of 17 people continues, the newspaper reports with reference to official data.

According to the Georgian National Environmental Agency, out of 257 settlements of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region, 83 ones are located in zones of high risk of dangerous geological processes.

tourism

REZONANSI: ““TRAGEDY, WHICH HIT SHOVI, IS A HARD BLOW FOR GEORGIAN TOURISM””

August 11, 2023 - This year, shortcoming of guests in Georgia’s sea resorts is caused by blowing up of a dam of Kakhovka HES in Ukraine and resulting pollution of the Black Sea, indicates tourism specialist Manana Aladashvili.

These events “especially frightened Georgians” and “flow of domestic tourism is low”, Aladashvili says.