Economic Press Monitor June 11 - 17, 2023	Days:  03 10 17 24 01

economic & politics

NETGAZETI.GE: “WHETHER RECOMMENDATION OF DE-OLIGARCHIZATION WILL REMAIN AMONG 12 POINTS – RESPONSE OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION”

June 16, 2023 - European Commission declared that de-oligarchization will remain among 12 recommendations, set as precondition for obtaining status of the EU membership candidate by Georgia.

At the same time, the European Commission emphasized that all steps require dull implementation of recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, “in particular, systemic approach must be used instead of personal approach”.




NETGAZETI.GE: “TBILISI WILL JOIN LAND SYSTEMIC REGISTRATION PROJECT TOO – KALADZE”

June 15, 2023 - Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze declared that the project on systemic registration of land will be implemented on selected areas of Tbilisi. Within the project, which should be completed until December 31, 2024, registration of land ownership will be free for citizens, he said.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “AFTER COVID PANDEMIC, SALARIES AT DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN RESTAURANT BUSINESS INCREASED 2-3 TIMES – CHAIRMAN OF RESTAURATEURS ASSOCIATION”

June 15, 2023 - After the COVID-19 pandemic, salaries at different positions in restaurant business have increased 2 times, in certain cases – 3 times, chairman of Georgian Restaurateurs Association Shota Burjanadze says. Salaries made up about 600-1,100 lari a month, while now, they make up 1,200-2,000 lari, he marks.




REZONANSI: “CONFRONTATION IN NATIONAL BANK REACHED MESTVIRISHVILI”

June 14, 2023 - The Georgian Parliament overcame the veto, imposed by Georgia’s President Salome Zurabishvili on amendments to the law “On National Bank” (82 MPs voted “pro”, 9 MPs voted “contra”).

According to the amendments, post of the senior vice president will be created in the National Bank of Georgia (NBG).




REZONANSI: “DE-OLIGARCHIZATION PASSION – WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN CASE OF ADOPTION OF THE CONTROVERSIAL LAW”

June 14, 2023 - Venice Commission of the Council of Europe advises Georgian authorities to refuse adoption of the revised version of the bill on de-oligarchization. However, the Georgian Parliament nevertheless is going to adopt this bill (on June 13, it was adopted in second hearing).




REZONANSI: “SOON, THE PRESIDENT WILL PRESENT TO PARLIAMENT 2 CANDIDACIES FOR NATIONAL BANK MEMBERSHIP – MSKHILADZE”

June 13, 2023 - Georgia’s President Salome Zurabishvili will present to the Parliament 2 candidacies of National Bank of Georgia (NBG) council membership in the nearest future, the President’s parliamentary secretary Giorgi Mskhiladze declared. Then you will see, who will be the candidates, nominated by the President, he told journalists.




NETGAZETI.GE: “WITHOUT COMMUNICATION WITH BUSINESS, THEY COULD CONTAIN DANGER – BAG ON LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS”

June 13, 2023 - Business Association of Georgia (BAG) indicates that without preliminary communication with business, implementation of radical amendments in the medical sphere’s regulating legislation could contain danger.

The draft amendments to the law “On Healthcare” authorize Georgian Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Labor, Healthcare and Social Protection to check the medical institutions, subjected to its supervision, without prior notice and at any time and to close it, if considers necessary.




NETGAZETI.GE: “WHY DID KHIDASHELI RETURN PART OF FOREST TO THE STATE FOR CREATION OF NATIONAL PARK IN RACHA”

June 12, 2023 - In 2023, first protected area was created in Racha region, which occupies area of 50,835 ha.

Critics of defective development of protected areas in Racha name as one of key reasons of this the fact that big part of Racha forests was handed over to the businessman David Khidasheli, the article says.

macroeconomics & budget

REZONANSI: “PRICES WILL BE STABLE DURING WHOLE SUMMER AND PRICE GROWTH IS EXPECTED IN NO DIRECTION”

June 16, 2023 - Iva Chkonia, head of Georgia Distributors Association, says that “in connection with onset of a summer season and growth of demand, correction of prices is really not expected” in Georgia. “In spite of the fact that lari exchange rate depreciated, in comparison with a previous period, and fuel price is increased, it was not reflected in cost of production”, he indicates.




REZONANSI: “IN GEORGIA, THE RICH RECEIVE 35,000 LARI A MONTH, THE POOR – 500 LARI AND LESS”

June 13, 2023 - Referring to data of Georgian Revenue Service, Georgian Trade Unions indicate that in this February, 131,841 people had monthly salary of up to 500 lari, while 11,055 most highly paid people received per 35,009 lari a month on average. By data of 2022, 15.6% of Georgian population lived below the poverty line.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “ORGANIZATION OF WINTER OLYMPIC FESTIVAL OF 2025 WILL COST GEORGIA 100M LARI”

June 13, 2023 - Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili declared that for preparation of Winter Olympic Festival of 2025, “we have allocate 100 million lari from the budget”. This year, 25 million lari are already allocated, he pointed.

conflict and court

NETGAZETI.GE: “WE AGREED ALL POINTS, EXCEPT RAISE OF SALARIES AND OLD WORKING SCHEDULE – “GEORGIAN MANGANESE””

June 16, 2023 - The mining company Georgian Manganese says that they agreed settlement of problems with the striking workers. The striking miners, who demand improvement of working conditions, are going to make statement later, after the meeting with mediator.




NETGAZETI.GE: ““CONSIDER THAT WE, MINERS, GO TO DEATH” – REPORT FROM CHIATURA”

June 14, 2023 - In Chiatura, miners went on strike, demanding from Georgian Manganese company increase of salaries and improvement of working conditions.

As strikers say, their work is connected to risk for life, while salary, which for the highest paid employees reaches about 1,700 lari a month, was not raised, despite inflation and promises of the company.

companies

FORBES GEORGIA: “IN GARDABANI DISTRICT, NEW MEAT PRODUCTS ENTERPRISE OF “CHIRINA” WILL BE OPENED – PARTNER OF THE PROJECT IS “SAKARTVELOS BANKI””

June 15, 2023 - Company Chirina will open the new meat products enterprise in the village of Sartichala of Gardabani municipality (Kvemo Kartli region).

Cost of the project makes up about 35 million lari.




BATUMELEBI: “PROJECT OF ONE MORE SKYSCRAPER BY JUSTICE HALL AND PLEASED MAYOR OF BATUMI”

June 12, 2023 - Construction of the 44-storey building on Pirosmani Street, 21, in Batumi is announced. LLC Beach Building Batumi got the appropriate permission.

transport & communications

REZONANSI: “BETWEEN GEORGIA AND RUSSIA, ONLY 2 AIRLINES FLY WITH HALF-EMPTY PLANES”

June 16, 2023 - After 3 years, Russia cancelled embargo on air communication with Georgia, and direct flights are conducted now by Russia’s Azimuth and Georgia’s Georgian Airways.

There are no tickets cheaper than 1,100-1,200 lari, so citizens of Russia and Georgia prefer to travel between the countries in the overland way, as before, the newspaper notes.

finances & banking

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “ARCHIL MESTVIRISHVILI – PERCENT ON CREDITS, ISSUED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY, WILL INCREASE”

June 12, 2023 - Archil Mestvirishvili, acting president of National Bank of Georgia, declared that “there will be growth of currency interest rates on loans” in Georgia. That is caused by raise of interest rates by central banks in the Eurozone and the US, he explained.

agriculture & food

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “IMPORT OF 1 KG OF FLOUR WILL BE TAXED WITH 20 TETRI”

June 12, 2023 - Georgian government decided to impose tax on flour import, which will be effective from June 12 to November 1 this year.

Namely, import of 200 kg and above will be taxed with 20 tetri per 1 kg 1 kg that will make up 200 lari per t.