Economic Press Monitor May 9 - 15, 2021	Days:  24 01 15 22 05

economic & politics

TABULA: “DEFENSE MINISTER: PRODUCTION OF M4 CARBINE BEGINS IN GEORGIA”

May 14, 2021 - Georgia’s Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze reported that new Georgian-Israeli enterprise will start operation in the end of the year, which will produce M4 carbines.

“Besides, in February, defense forces received with the US support machine guns and grenade launchers of a new type”, said the Minister on April 13, while reporting to Georgian Parliament (published on May 13, 19:49).




REZONANSI: “ALMOST DECIDED: FROM JUNE, THE COUNTRY WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THE FORMER MODE!”

May 14, 2021 - Georgian government has almost decided to lift the restrictions, imposed in the country, in 2 weeks, the newspaper reports.

The article points that the biggest problem for business is the curfew, which shift the private sector asks for a long time.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““TODAY, THERE ARE ALL REASONS TO INTRODUCE A STRONG “LOCKDOWN” FROM FOUR TO SIX WEEKS IN THE COUNTRY””

May 13, 2021 - “Today, there are all reasons to introduce a strong “lockdown” from four to six weeks in the country and meet the summer with a good indicator”, declared Amiran Gamkrelidze, head of Georgian National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC).

Gamkrelidze said this in Forbes Health program, but noted that currently, announcement of a strict “lockdown” will be very difficult in all directions.

macroeconomics & budget

REZONANSI: “IN TBILISI, 400 RESTAURANTS WILL RECEIVE ONE-TIME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE CITY HALL FROM NEXT WEEK”

May 14, 2021 - 400 restaurants in Tbilisi will receive one-time financial assistance from Tbilisi City Hall from the next week, the newspaper reports, referring to the City Hall.

The City Hall explained that the financing process was suspended due to declared non-working days in Georgia (May 3-12), but is resumed from May 13.




FORBES GEORGIA: “WORLD BANK APPROVED PROGRAM OF 85M EUR IN SUPPORT OF GEORGIAN BUSINESSES”

May 13, 2021 - World Bank (WB) will allocate 85 million EUR to Georgia for jobs creation and support of companies, impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, the magazine reports. The WB’s board approved the decision on May 11.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “FUEL PRICE IS AT THE MAXIMUM LEVEL AND WILL SET NEW RECORDS IN FUTURE”

May 13, 2021 - Vano Mtvralashvili, head of Georgian Oil-Importers Union, says that Super petrol price exceeded 3 lari per 1 liter, while Premium petrol costs 2.90-2.95 lari. “Historically, these are the highest prices that ever have been in Georgia in terms of fuel”, he notes.

companies

FORBES GEORGIA: “NATIONAL BANK OF MOLDOVA APPROVED GIORGI SHAGIDZE AS CEO OF THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST BANK”

May 14, 2021 - On May 13, National Bank of Moldova approved Giorgi Shagidze as director general of Moldova Agroindbank, the magazine reports.

Moldova Agroindbank accounts for about 30% of Moldova’s banking assets and 35% of loans.




FORBES GEORGIA: “GLOBAL COMPANY “SPINCAR” ACQUIRED GEORGIAN STARTUP “PULSAR AI””

May 13, 2021 - SpinCar, global company of digital sale systems in automotive industry, has acquired Georgian startup Pulsar AI, the magazine reports. Pulsar AI developed advanced AI-based technology of dialogues’ automation for car dealers (Conversational AI).