Economic Press Monitor October 11 - 17, 2020	Days:  03 10 17 24 31

economic & politics

TABULA: “KALADZE: BUS WILL NOT START MOVING, IF PASSENGERS HAVE NO MASKS”

October 16, 2020 - Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said that wearing masks will be controlled in buses. Namely, bus will not start moving, if passengers have no masks, he pointed.




REZONANSI: “IN WHICH CITIES TEACHING WILL CONTINUE REMOTELY – THE EDUCATION MINISTRY”

October 16, 2020 - Georgian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport declared that higher education institutions in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi and Poti will be able to hold practical and laboratory teaching in offline mode since October 19. At that, the institutions are authorized to conduct other components of teaching remotely.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “GIORGI VASHADZE SIGNED ADVERTISING CONTRACT WORTH 1,000,000 LARI WITH “TV PIRVELI””

October 13, 2020 - Giorgi Vashadze’s association Agmashenebeli Strategy signed contract worth 1 million lari with TV Pirveli broadcasting company, Radio Liberty reports. This information is indicated in declaration of the association.




TABULA: ““EDISON RESEARCH”: IF ELECTIONS WERE HELD TODAY: “DREAM” – 36%, “UNM” – 17%, “EUROPEANS” – 5%”

October 13, 2020 - Survey, conducted in Georgia by Edison Research, showed that answering a question: “To whom you would vote, if parliamentary elections were held today” (they are scheduled on October 31), 36% of respondents named ruling Georgian Dream.

17% named United National Movement (UNM), 5% – European Georgia, 4% – Giorgi Vashadze – Agmashenebeli Strategy, per 3% – Labor Party and Alliance of Patriots, per 2% – Lelo and Girchi.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: ““GEORGIAN DREAM” SPENT IN 3 WEEKS OVER 3M LARI FOR ELECTION BANNERS AND OTHER TYPE OF ADVERTISING”

October 12, 2020 - During September 1-21, expenses of Georgian Dream amounted to 4.3 million lari, of which the ruling party has spent up to 3.2 million lari for advertising, the newspaper reports.

Namely, 1.07 million lari were spent for TV commercials, 1.65 million lari – on street advertising.

macroeconomics & budget

FORBES GEORGIA: “IMF UPDATED ECONOMIC FORECAST – WHAT EXPECTS GEORGIA AND COUNTRIES OF THE REGION”

October 15, 2020 - The IMF updated its World Economic Outlook, which forecasts now decrease of Georgian economy by 5% in 2020, the magazine reports. In April, the IMF expected reduction of 4%.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “THEY KILLED GEORGIA – OR GEORGIAN ECONOMY SACRIFICED TO CORONAHYSTERIA”

October 15, 2020 - Paata Bayrakhtari, vice president of Georgian Young Financiers and Businessmen Association, considers that tough restrictions, introduced in Georgia because of COVID-19 in March, were “hasty and wrong actions”.

Bayrakhtari points at current indicators of the virus spread in Georgia and those countries, where similar restrictions were not introduced.




TABULA: “FINANCE MINISTRY: DURING THE PANDEMIC, INCOME WAS LOST BY 100,000 CITIZENS”

October 13, 2020 - Georgia’s Deputy Finance Minister Giorgi Kakauridze declared that because of crisis, caused by COVID-19, income was lost by about 100,000 citizens.

Referring to data of Georgian government, the newspaper reports that monthly 200-lari unemployment allowance, issued by the government because of the pandemic, was received by 161,905 citizens.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “ENERGY POLICY TOWARD ABKHAZIA STILL DOES NOT CHANGE”

October 16, 2020 - On February 15, 2021, the 4-month rehabilitation of Georgia’s largest hydroelectric station EngurHES will begin, being financed by EBRD with 48 million EUR. Supply of electric power to Abkhazia will be provided by Russia and Georgia, the newspaper says.




REZONANSI: “SHARE OF CHEAP GAS IN GEORGIA CONSIDERABLY INCREASES”

October 15, 2020 - After 4-year construction, Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (cost – $4.5 billion), by which Azerbaijani gas will be transported to Europe via Georgia, was fully put in operation, the newspaper reports. The article notes that commercial transportation will begin in November.

companies

FORBES GEORGIA: “HOW MANY MILLION IN INCOME HAD “SHERATON BATUMI” BEFORE THE PANDEMIC”

October 16, 2020 - In 2019, income of 5-star hotel Sheraton Batumi (opened in 2010 by Turkish Nurol Insaat Ve Ticaret) increased by 2.1 million lari and reached 24.1 million lari, the magazine reports. Net profit of the hotel amounted last year to 2.2 million lari.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “IN 1 YEAR, TURNOVER OF GAMBLING HAS INCREASED BY 11B! DID THE PARLIAMENT LOSE TO GAMBLING BUSINESS?”

October 12, 2020 - Georgian Parliament of the 9^th convocation has finished its work so that the bill “On Gambling” was not allowed to see the light of day, the newspaper reports.

The article brings data, according to which gambling turnover in 2019 has exceeded 25 million lari that is by 87% more than in 2018.

international cooperation

FORBES GEORGIA: “CZECH INVESTMENTS AND PROJECTS IN GEORGIA – INTERVIEW WITH AMBASSADOR”

October 13, 2020 - In 2019, Czech direct investments in Georgia amounted to $17.4 million, against of $129 million in 2017, the magazine reports.

Commenting on these indicators, Czech ambassador to Georgia Petr Mikyska says: “I think, it’s just certain cycle, and it’s not connected with any inner processes or factors”.

ecology & health

TABULA: “GAMKRELIDZE: THREE REGIONS REQUIRE ATTENTION, INCLUDING TBILISI”

October 15, 2020 - Amiran Gamkrelidze, head of Georgian National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, says that in respect of COVID-19 spread, attention today should be paid to three regions of Georgia. These regions are Tbilisi, Ajara and Imereti, mainly at the expense of Kutaisi, he specifies.




TABULA: “OUT OF 478 NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES, 196 ONES WERE REVEALED IN AJARA, 178 – IN TBILISI”

October 12, 2020 - Marina Endeladze, head of boxed unit of Tbilisi Infectious Diseases Hospital, reported that out of 478 new COVID-19 cases, confirmed on October 12 in Georgia, 196 ones were detected in Ajara, 178 – in Tbilisi.

In Imereti region, 65 new cases were revealed, in Kvemo Kartli – 15, in Samegrelo – Zemo Svaneti – 13, in Shida Kartli – 6, in Mtskheta-Mtianeti – 4, in Guria – 1.




TABULA: “GERMANY GIFTED 5 RESPIRATORY DEVICES TO GEORGIA FOR PATIENTS INFECTED WITH COVID-19”

October 12, 2020 - Germany gifted 5 respiratory devices of Draeger to Georgia for treatment of those, who are infected with COVID-19, Tabula reports.

Devices were acquired by German Foreign Ministry’s fund, intended for support of the Eastern Partnership countries during COVID-19 pandemic.