Economic Press Monitor September 9 - 15, 2018	Days:  18 08 15 22 29

economic & politics

NETGAZETI.GE: “DIRECTOR OF “COCA-COLA” DONATED 50,000 LARI TO SALOME ZURABISHVILI”

September 14, 2018 - Candidate for the Presidency of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili, who is supported by ruling Georgian Dream, has collected for the moment donations of 107,000 lari, Netgazeti.Ge reports.

As the article notes, the largest sum, 50,000 lari, was donated to Zurabishvili by director of Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia Vakhtang Lagidze.




NETGAZETI.GE: “SAAKASHVILI ON MARIJUANA EXPORT – DRUG BRINGS CRIME”

September 14, 2018 - Recently, it became known that Georgian government plans to legalize export of marijuana for medical purposes.

In this connection, Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili claims that only billionaire leader of ruling Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, will benefit from this initiative.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “IVANE MACHAVARIANI: I DO NOT EXCLUDE THAT MARIJUANA WILL BECOME ONE OF THE LEADING EXPORT POSITIONS”

September 13, 2018 - Finance Minister Ivane Machavariani does not exclude that marijuana will become one of the leading export positions. “This market is quite growing”, “if that would not be sound figure, certainly, we would not launch this initiative”, he declares.




TABULA: “SAAKASHVILI: I SAID THAT LEGALIZATION IS NECESSARY TO THEM FOR TRANSFORMATION OF THE COUNTRY INTO A NARCOHUB”

September 12, 2018 - Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili declares that leader of ruling Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili “urged the party to support the law, under which Georgia becomes the marijuana-producing country and marijuana becomes one of the major exporting products”.

“Several weeks ago, Ucha Mamatsashvili, his [i.e. Ivanishvili’s] cousin, brought experts of it from America and wanted to make drug cartel in Georgia and now they do this”, Saakashvili asserts.




NETGAZETI.GE: “INTERIOR MINISTRY CONFIRMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS PRODUCTION OF MARIJUANA FOR EXPORT WITH MEDICAL PURPOSES”

September 12, 2018 - Georgian Interior Ministry confirms that the government considers issue of production of marijuana with purpose of export, Netgazeti.Ge reports. The Ministry specifies that “the government considers issues of cultivation-production of marijuana with medical and cosmetic purposes for delivery to export”.




REZONANSI: “RESIDENCE PERMIT, GOT FOR $1,000, AND OTHER TRICKS PERFORMED BY FOREIGNERS”

September 11, 2018 - Number of foreigners, who hold Georgian residence permit, exceeds 80,000, the newspaper reports.

It should be taken into account also that most of residence permit holders is poor population, coming to Georgia to find a livelihood, the article specifies.




TABULA: “SAAKASHVILI: GEORGIANS’ JOBS ARE SEIZED BY POOR IRANIANS, TURKS AND OTHER FOREIGNERS”

September 11, 2018 - Ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili indicates that 9,700 construction licenses and, respectively, temporary residence permits were issued to foreigners in 2016.

At that, 20% of foreigners were employed on low-qualification construction works, 20% – as mechanics and car technicians, 11% – managing directors, 7% – drivers, Saakashvili specifies.




FORBES GEORGIA: “GEORGIA IS NAMED AMONG 12 BEST COUNTRIES TO START A BUSINESS”

September 11, 2018 - Georgia appeared among 12 countries, which Reboot Digital Agency named as the best for starting a business, the magazine reports.

In the rating, Georgia occupies the 4^th place with 97.84 points out of 100.




REZONANSI: “KOBULIA RETURNED – HOW MANY DAYS REMAINED UNTIL ANOTHER HOLIDAY OF THE MINISTER?”

September 10, 2018 - Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Kobulia returned from his holiday and started work in usual mode from today, the newspaper reports.

The article indicates that Kobulia was appointed the Minister on July 12 and since that, had left on leave three times.

macroeconomics & budget

REZONANSI: “FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS, ARMY OF THE POOR AND BEGGARS GREW BY 232,000 PEOPLE”

September 14, 2018 - According to data of 2015, the poor made up 32% of Georgian population, 37% was moderately poor, while 4% were on the poverty line, the newspaper says. The middle class made up only 7%.




NETGAZETI.GE: “STUDENTS COULD BE EXEMPTED FROM INCOME TAX – DRAFT BILL”

September 13, 2018 - Legislative initiative of Young Barristers organization envisages exemption from income tax those students with active status, whose age does not exceed 25 years and annual income – 6,000 lari. The initiative was supported by the Parliament’s Committee on Education, Science and Culture.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “WATER AND GAS ARE ON THE VERGE OF PRICE INCREASE”

September 13, 2018 - Next devaluation of lari at the end of the year may cause growth of municipal bills, the newspaper says. If exchange rate will exceed 2.65 GEL/USD, the companies will have a serious demand that the rate component was provided in the tariff, the article specifies.




FORBES GEORGIA: ““WALTBAY LTD” COULD BECOME OWNER OF 100% SHARE IN “KAZTRANSGAS-TBILISI””

September 12, 2018 - Waltbay Ltd, registered on the Marshall Islands, is interested in acquisition of share of 100% in KazTransGas-Tbilisi (Tbilisi gas distributor), the magazine reports.

The article indicates that according to decree of Georgian government, upon buyout KazTransGas-Tbilisi will be exempted from tax arrears.




REZONANSI: ““KHUDONHES” PROJECT IS PRACTICALLY CANCELLED”

September 11, 2018 - Power engineering specialist Gia Arabidze urges Georgian government to accelerate work in respect of hydropower projects, the newspaper writes. “We very much forgot issue of KhudonHES.

conflict and court

TABULA: “BAKHTADZE TO “OMEGA”: OWNING TELEVISION TOGETHER WITH TOBACCO BUSINESS DOES NOT EXEMPT YOU FROM TAXES”

September 13, 2018 - “The fact that shareholders of Omega Group, besides the tobacco enterprise, have television, does not mean that they should not pay taxes”, Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze declared.

Omega Group member tobacco company OGT owes the budget over 51 million lari.

transport & communications

TABULA: “KALADZE: MUNICIPAL PARKING IS FOR PARKING, NOT FOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY”

September 14, 2018 - Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze declared that “In economically active zones, especially, in tourist zones, such transport means, which are used in economic activity, are very frequently placed on municipal parking”.

The Mayor said this at the capital government meeting on September 13 and urged the relevant service to react in such cases according to the law, including fining.

construction

KVIRIS PALITRA: “HOW GEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IS ON SALE SO THAT THE EXPERT NEVER SET EYES ON CONSTRUCTION TERRITORY”

September 10, 2018 - In Georgia, part of constructions is conducted without geological assessment and sometimes even with false geotechnical assessment, the newspaper states. The article reports that it is possible to purchase a geological assessment for 200-300 lari.

tourism

FORBES GEORGIA: “WHAT SUM TOURISTS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES ARE SPENDING IN GEORGIA”

September 12, 2018 - Expenses of international tourists in Georgia totaled in the 2^nd quarter to 1.9 billion lari, while average expenses per visit made up 1,144 lari, the magazine reports.

As the article notes, biggest average spending among visitors from neighboring countries have Russian tourists – 1,253 lari per visit.




FORBES GEORGIA: “UNWTO: AMONG MOST FAST-GROWING TOURIST DESTINATIONS, GEORGIA IS ON THE FOURTH PLACE”

September 10, 2018 - Referring to review of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for 2018, the magazine reports that Georgia is on the 4^th place among the most fast-growing tourist destinations. Last year, growth of tourists’ number in Georgia made 27.9%.