Economic Press Monitor May 13 - 19, 2018	Days:  05 12 19 26 02

economic & politics

REZONANSI: “TOTALIZATORS DEMAND TO ALLOW SMOKING, NEXT WILL BE RESTAURANTS”

May 17, 2018 - Georgia Gambling Business Association demands amendment of law “On Tobacco”, the newspaper reports. Respective initiative is already submitted to the Parliament and its consideration is assigned on Healthcare and Social Issues Committee.




REZONANSI: ““DREAM” PLANS INTRODUCTION OF CENSORSHIP AND, LIKE COMMUNISTS, BEGINS “TO TAME ART””

May 17, 2018 - Ruling Georgian Dream is going to amend law “On Culture”, which introduce censorship of “unacceptable” verses, stories, novels, drawings or performances and forbids their distribution, the newspaper reports.

According to most part of human rights activists and artists, this is desire of return to model of the Soviet censorship that is categorically unacceptable, the article indicates.




FORBES GEORGIA: “EFFICIENCY OF ANTIMONOPOLY POLICY IN GEORGIA AND IN THE WORLD”

May 16, 2018 - According to the World Bank, Georgia’s antimonopoly policy is one of the most inefficient in the region and competition in the country is still weak.

Rating of the World Economic Forum estimates efficiency of the country’s antimonopoly policy with 3.2 points from 7 possible.




TABULA: “WHAT IS BEHIND THE LAW ON TOBACCO CONTROL?”

May 15, 2018 - In 2013, Georgian government declared political will to improve situation with tobacco control, because of what the governmental commission was created and the state strategy and the action plan were adopted, Tabula reminds.

The article emphasizes those 2 points of the governmental plan of 2017, which concern raise of taxes on tobacco and prohibition of smoking in public places.




EUGEORGIA.INFO: “WITH ASSISTANCE OF THE EU, 11 YOUTH PROJECTS WERE FINANCED IN GEORGIA LAST YEAR”

May 14, 2018 - The EU initiative EU4Youth, launched last year, is 4-year youth project, which envisages active socialization, employment, development of leadership and business skills, Eugeorgia.Info reports.

In this direction, 11 projects with total budget of 1.16 million EUR were financed in 2017 (grants of about 150,000 EUR are issued).




FORBES GEORGIA: “IN PROPERTY PROTECTION RATING, GEORGIA IS ON THE 88^TH PLACE”

May 14, 2018 - In International Property Rights Index for 2017 (published annually by Property Rights Alliance), Georgia occupies the 88^th place among 127 countries (against of the 89^th place in 2016), the magazine reports. The Index estimates level of property protection on a scale from 0 to 10 points, while Georgia has 4.7 points.




NETGAZETI.GE: “COURT FINES PARTICIPANTS OF COUNTERACTION FOR 400-500 LARI”

May 14, 2018 - On May 12-13, several thousands of people (generally young people) held in Tbilisi protest action under slogan “For Our Freedom”, Netgazeti.Ge reports, noting that participants of the action protested against raid of riot police in night clubs, violent acts of police and inhumane drug policy.

The article reports that in parallel to this peaceful action, a counteraction was held on May 13 by neo-Nazi groups, who tried to approach participants of the main action and to deal shortly with them, but were stopped by police.

macroeconomics & budget

FORBES GEORGIA: “IF DILIGENCE WAS NOT PUNISHED”

May 17, 2018 - Referring to IMF data, the magazine reports that Georgia in 2017 was on the 105^th place in the world in terms of wealth per capita (taking into account parity of purchasing power). The article indicates that even such poor countries, as Tunisia, Nauru, Namibia, Ecuador, Kosovo, Venezuela, Mongolia, etc.




FORBES GEORGIA: “MOST HIGHLY- AND LOW-PAID VACANCIES IN GEORGIA”

May 17, 2018 - For the last 6 months, 5,674 vacancies were announced in Tbilisi, and demand is mostly on low-skilled employees, the magazine reports with reference to research, conducted by Social Service Agency with assistance of the EU.

As the article notes, among respondent organizations, participating in the poll, the lowest wage (50 lari) is fixed in medicine and food production, while the highest minimum wage (700 lari) – in construction.




FORBES GEORGIA: “WB: HOW POOR GEORGIAN POPULATION IS”

May 16, 2018 - In Georgia, 1 person out of each 5 is poor, the magazine reports with reference to data of the World Bank (WB). At the same time, “about 47-54% of population is in group, which can join poor strata”, the WB specifies.




TABULA: “WHICH DEPARTMENTS SPEND MOST FUNDS FOR BUSINESS TRIPS”

May 15, 2018 - Georgia’s budget-2017 amounted to 11.7 billion lari, from which about 30% is share of social security of the population, 20% – infrastructure projects, 15% – remuneration of public employees, Tabula reports.

Last year, according to data of the Finance Ministry, the central budget spent 71.6 million lari for business trips of public employees, exceeding by 3 million lari an indicator of 2016, the article indicates.




FORBES GEORGIA: ““S&P” ESTIMATES GEORGIAN ECONOMICS”

May 14, 2018 - S&P rating agency reaffirmed Georgia’s rating at “BB-” level with “stable” outlook, the magazine reports. The article notes that the agency did not alter its previous assessment.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “OIL EXCEEDED $80, HIGH PRICES AND INFLATION ARE EXPECTED IN GEORGIA”

May 18, 2018 - Jaba Tarimanishvili, director of Translogistics company, expects that tendency of fuel price increase will continue. He declares to the newspaper that “All expected that crude oil will raise in price and that happened so” and specifies: “it was announced that it will fluctuate within $80-100”.

companies

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “CONSIDERING OUR ENTERPRISE’S EQUIPMENT, WE CAN GAIN A FOOTHOLD ON ANY MARKET”

May 18, 2018 - Ana Berishvili, marketing manager of Tskali Margebeli (Healthy Water, mineral water bottling company), says that “in terms of sales on Georgian market, Nabeglavi is water number one”. “Nabeglavi has almost 100% market coverage, while Bakhmaro [another mineral water brand] is presented at about 85% of objects”, she specifies.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “WE KNOW WHAT CUSTOMER WANTS TODAY AND WHAT WILL WANT TOMORROW!”

May 14, 2018 - Irina Sharvashidze, director of advertising company AdLine (member of Palitra-Media holding, which includes the newspaper too), states in an interview to the newspaper that “advertising market undergoes transformation – advertising income passes from traditional media to online media, therefore we are in constant search of innovations”.

Sharvashidze says: “We work in outdoor advertising, as well as in TV, radio and printing advertising.

transport & communications

REZONANSI: “FUEL RISES IN PRICE AND TRANSPORT FARE WILL ALSO INCREASE SOON”

May 15, 2018 - Growth of crude oil price is expected on the world market, and rise in price of fuel in Georgia is already started, the newspaper says.

The article reports that representatives of bus stations and intracity minibus transportations in Tbilisi declare that revision of tariffs is not planned, but only in case, if sharp growth of fuel price is avoided, the article specifies.

ecology & health

TABULA: “THE GOVERNMENT APPROVED REGULATIONS OF RADIATION MONITORING IN SCRAP METAL”

May 18, 2018 - Georgian government defined new rules of monitoring of radioactive materials in scrap metal, Tabula reports. The article says that monitoring of radioactive materials’ distribution in Georgia is assigned to Agency of Nuclear and Radiation Safety.

finances & banking

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “IN NO COUNTRY, COMMERCIAL BANKS, OPERATING BY MONEY OF DEPOSITORS, HAD PROVIDED BLOSSOMING OF ECONOMY”

May 16, 2018 - According to Murtaz Kikoria, vice-president of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG): “In no country, commercial banks, operating by money of depositors, had provided blossoming of economy, and development of the country did depend on them”. As the newspaper reports, Kikoria declared this at the meeting of business council of Young Financiers and Businessmen Association.




FORBES GEORGIA: ““S&P” ESTIMATES GEORGIAN BANKING SYSTEM”

May 15, 2018 - Standard&Poor’s (S&P) positively estimates changes, planned in Georgian banking system, the magazine reports.

At that, the agency expects growth of domestic crediting in the next 4 years, which will be similar to tendency of the last years.

construction

REZONANSI: “APARTMENTS WILL DROP IN PRICE, REALIZATION WILL CLEARLY DECREASE!”

May 16, 2018 - Irakli Rostomashvili, chairman of Developers Association, declares that new banking regulation, which restricts issuance of credits without confirmation of income, will negatively affect the real estate market. Both apartments’ prices and their realization will decrease, he forecasts.