Economic Press Monitor July 12 - 18, 2020	Days:  20 27 18 25 01

economic & politics

TABULA: ““EDISON RESEARCH”: 37% ARE VERY MUCH AFRAID THAT SOON THEY WILL HAVE NO MONEY FOR LIVELIHOOD, 44% – ARE SLIGHTLY AFRAID”

July 17, 2020 - Survey, conducted by Edison Research, show that 37% of Georgians are very much afraid that soon they will have no money for acquisition of food and household goods, Tabula reports. 44% are slightly afraid of it, while 19% declare what they are not afraid of it at all.




TABULA: ““EDISON RESEARCH”: IF ELECTIONS WERE HELD TODAY – “DREAM” – 39%, “UNM” – 16%, “EUROPEANS” – 5%”

July 17, 2020 - Responding to the question of Edison Research “If parliamentary elections were held today, to whom you would give vote”, 39% of Georgians opt for Georgian Dream (ruling party), Tabula reports. 16% would vote for United National Movement (UNM), 5% – for European Georgia.




TABULA: “ACTION IN BATUMI – CITIZENS WORKING IN TURKEY DEMAND TO OPEN BORDER”

July 16, 2020 - Georgians, employed in Turkey, held a protest action in front of the city hall of Batumi, demanding to open border with Turkey, Tabula reports. Otherwise, they urge the authorities to appoint allowance to them.




BATUMELEBI: “HOW DENDROLOGY PARK IN SHEKVETILI WAS CREATED”

July 16, 2020 - On July 15, dendrology park in Shekvetili (the resort on the Black Sea coast of Georgia), located on 60 ha of Bidzina Ivanishvili (billionaire leader of ruling Georgian Dream) was opened for free visits, Batumelebi reports.

As the article notes, along with huge trees, relocated from regions of Ajara, Guria, Samegrelo, the park features also thousands of exotic flora species from around the world.




TABULA: “BEDINEISHVILI: MANDATE OF REGULATORS MUST BE LIMITED URGENTLY AND STRICTLY”

July 15, 2020 - Giga Bedineishvili, dean of Business School at Free and Agrarian universities, considers that mandate of regulators must be urgently and strictly limited. He posted this on his Facebook page.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “THE PARLIAMENT ADOPTED LAW, WHICH AUTHORIZES GNERC TO RESTRICT COMPANIES TO SALE SHARES”

July 15, 2020 - Georgian Parliament adopted in accelerated mode (by 81 votes pro and no votes contra) the bill, which authorizes Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulating Commission (GNERC) to restrict companies to sale of their shares, the newspaper reports.

According to the bill, any company, engaged in power distribution or water supply, prior to selling of share of 5% and above or change of owner, will have to notify the Commission about the intention.




TABULA: ““CARTU” SPENT 37.5M LARI FOR THE PROGRAM OF WRITE-OFF OF DEBTS OF A BILLION AND A HALF”

July 14, 2020 - Cartu fund (founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, billionaire leader of ruling Georgian Dream) spent 37.5 million lari for write-off of debts in 2018, Tabula reports with reference to financial statement of the Fund for 2018. The article reminds that the written-off debts totaled to 1.5 billion lari.




TABULA: “INSTRUMENT OF BUSINESS RACKET OR POSSIBLE RUSSIAN INTEREST – BILL ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS”

July 13, 2020 - On July 6, Georgian National Communication Commission registered in the country’s Parliament package of draft legislative amendments, asking to consider it in accelerated mode.

The package authorizes the Commission, in case of reveal of any shortcomings, to appoint special managing director in a telecom company for a period of 2 years.

macroeconomics & budget

REZONANSI: “LARI FOUND NEW MARK AND WILL REMAIN THERE UNTIL NOVEMBER”

July 14, 2020 - Nika Shengelia, vice-president of Forecasting and Research Center, expects that until end of the current month lari will fluctuate within 3.0-3.1 GEL/USD.

In August, we expect slight strengthening, however it will not change the picture essentially, Shengelia declares.

companies

TABULA: “KANDELAKI: THE GOVERNMENT NOTIFIED “WIZZ AIR” THAT IT WILL BE UNABLE TO FLY TO FRANCE AND GERMANY UNTIL ELECTIONS”

July 16, 2020 - Giorgi Kandelaki, MP from oppositional European Georgia, declares that Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development informally notified the Hungarian low-coster Wizz Air that it will not be able to fly from Georgia to France and Germany until parliamentary elections (are planned in the country for this October). Besides, the state does not issue permission to Wizz Air for flights to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the MP claims.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “GIORGI RAMISHVILI: THAT WE DID NOT GET ALL THAT WE WANTED, I WANT TO TELL THE TRUTH THAT WE AGREED AT THE END”

July 16, 2020 - Giorgi Ramishvili, founder of Silk Road Group and SilkNet, declares in connection with amendments to the law “On Electronic Communications” (which Georgian Parliament has adopted in first hearing) that “we – are not happy for 100%”, but “have reached a consensus”.

As Ramishvili notes, as a result of work with the Parliament speaker and Georgian National Communication Commission, new edition of the bill envisages issues, which are fundamental for his company.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “TECHNOLOGICAL CAPACITIES, NECESSARY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES PLANT, ARE IN GEORGIA”

July 14, 2020 - Industrial holding iGroup starts construction of industrial complex in Kutaisi, the newspaper reports.

Kakhaber Guledani, chairman of board of the holding, declares that COVID-19 pandemic caused logistic interruptions.




FORBES GEORGIA: “ON NEW TRACKS”

July 14, 2020 - David Peradze, director general of state-owned JSC Georgian Railway, explains that big share in year-by-year reduction of freight turnover occupies oil transportation, which moved from railway to pipeline. Besides, redistribution of the markets of production/delivery took place, he says in an interview to the magazine.




FORBES GEORGIA: “WITH ASSISTANCE OF “SAKARTVELOS BANKI”, GEORGIAN WINE AND SPIRITS COMPANY “GWS” WILL RENEW VINEYARDS”

July 13, 2020 - In cooperation with Sakartvelos Banki (Bank of Georgia), Georgian Wine and Spirits Company (GWS) will renew its vineyards, the magazine reports. The matter concerns vineyards of 316 ha in Telavi, Kvareli, Akhmeta (Kakheti region) and Martvili (Samegrelo region)

The article notes that financial assistance to the company is allocated within the state program of preferential crediting (the sum is not specified).




FORBES GEORGIA: “WITH ASSISTANCE OF “SAKARTVELOS BANKI”, “GRADA” BUILT THE 14-STOREY APARTMENT HOUSE”

July 13, 2020 - In cooperation with Sakartvelos Banki (Bank of Georgia), the company Grada built residential complex of 210 apartments in Tbilisi district Didi Digomi, the magazine reports. Cost of the project made up $1.74 million.

international cooperation

TABULA: “REGULAR FLIGHTS FROM GEORGIA WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY TO AIRPORTS OF MUNICH, PARIS AND RIGA”

July 13, 2020 - Citizens of Germany, France, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will be able to visit Georgia without passing of obligatory quarantine.

At that, Georgia will allow regular flights only from airports of Munich, Paris and Riga, reports Tabula, with reference to the Georgian government’s resolution of July 10.

ecology & health

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “LEVAN GOGIBERIDZE: MEDICINES WILL PROBABLY RISE IN PRICE BY 7-10%”

July 17, 2020 - Levan Gogiberidze, president of Georgian Pharmacists Association, declares that extension of process of drugs’ registration, “naturally, will affect price of medicines”. “Possibly, price growth will average at 7-10%”, he forecasts.




TABULA: “RURAL OUTPATIENT CLINICS WITHOUT WATER, HEATING, EQUIPPING – OMBUDSMAN’S REPORT”

July 17, 2020 - Georgian Public Defender studied 70 rural outpatient clinics in 16 municipalities of the country’s regions Imereti, Ajara, Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli.

The study revealed that sites, where doctors have to serve citizens, lack washstands, flowing water, water supply system is damaged, reports Tabula.

construction

FORBES GEORGIA: “WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF “SAKARTVELOS BANKI”, MULTIFUNCTIONAL COMPLEX “ALLIANCE CENTROPOLIS” WILL BE BUILT IN BATUMI”

July 15, 2020 - In partnership with Sakartvelos Banki (Bank of Georgia), Alliance Centropolis complex will be built in Batumi, uniting under international brand a 180-room 5-star hotel and 4,500 apartments, the magazine reports.

As the article notes, within the project, the World Trade Center (network of exhibition and conference centers) enters Georgia for the first time.




FORBES GEORGIA: “REAL ESTATE ANALYTICS”

July 15, 2020 - In an interview to the magazine, founder and director of real estate platform Livo Giorgi Chumashvili notes that against the background of COVID-19 pandemic, offer of real estate in Georgia will be higher, than in previous years, mainly at the expense of secondary offers. Demand for the real estate exists, however we do not know, how much it is reinforced by money, he declares.