Economic Press Monitor September 13 - 19, 2020	Days:  05 12 19 26 03

economic & politics

TABULA: “VASHADZE: COMPANIES DONATE PART OF ASSISTANCE, RECEIVED FROM THE BUDGET, TO “GEORGIAN DREAM””

September 18, 2020 - Giorgi Vashadze, leader of oppositional Agmashenebeli Strategy, says that during a period of COVID-19 pandemic, companies “submitted in fact 4,247 applications with request of subsidizing and absolute majority, over 3,000, were refused for the bureaucratic reasons”. The government financed only the companies, having close ties with the authorities, he asserts.




FORBES GEORGIA: “BULGARIA’S EX-MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: SUSPENSION OF ANAKLIA AND DIGITAL CORRIDOR INFLICTS DAMAGE TO GEORGIA”

September 17, 2020 - Daniel Mitov, former foreign minister of Bulgaria, estimates that “crucial reforms have stalled” in Georgia. Mitov’s opinion is published by Emerging Europe.




TABULA: “US EMBASSY ALLOCATED $506,000 FOR PRESERVATION AND REINFORCEMENT OF JVARI MONASTERY”

September 17, 2020 - The US Embassy allocated $506,000 for the second stage of preservation of Jvari Monastery (6^th century AD), Tabula reports.

The article specifies that the first phase of preservation works in Jvari Monastery was financed with $100,000 by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2019.




TABULA: “EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT APPROVED REPORT ON EXECUTION OF ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT”

September 17, 2020 - On September 16, the European Parliament approved report on implementation by Georgia of its Agreement on Association with the EU, Tabula reports.

As the article notes, the report assesses in general positively process of reforms and adoption of bills, necessary for implementation of the Agreement.




TABULA: ““EDISON RESEARCH”: IF ELECTIONS WERE HELD TODAY – “DREAM” – 38%, “UNM” – 15%, “EUROPEANS” – 6%”

September 16, 2020 - Survey, conducted by Edison Research, show that if Georgian parliamentary elections were held today (are planned on October 31), 38% of Georgians would vote for ruling Georgian Dream. At that, 15% would vote for oppositional United National Movement (UNM) and 6% – for also oppositional European Georgia.




TABULA: ““EDISON RESEARCH”: 57% OF RESPONDENTS THINK THAT THE COUNTRY DEVELOPS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION”

September 16, 2020 - Survey, conducted by Edison Research, show that 57% of Georgians think that the country develops in the wrong direction. At that, 49% of respondents think that the country develops in the right direction.




TABULA: “NDI: 24% OF RESPONDENTS CONSIDER THEMSELVES UNEMPLOYED, NUMBER OF SELF-EMPLOYED REDUCED TOO”

September 15, 2020 - Survey, conducted by National Democratic Institute (NDI) in August, show that 31% of respondents consider themselves working full or part time (against of 33% as of June survey).

Besides, 24% consider themselves unemployed (against of 17%).




TABULA: “NDI: IF ELECTIONS WERE TOMORROW, 59% DID NOT CHOOSE SIDES”

September 15, 2020 - Survey, conducted by National Democratic Institute (NDI), showed that if parliamentary elections in Georgia were tomorrow, 59% have not choose sides yet. However, 88% say that they would take part in the voting.




TABULA: “RESTORATION OF REGULAR FLIGHTS IS POSTPONED NOW UNTIL NOVEMBER 1 – AVIATION ISSUED NEW NOTAM”

September 14, 2020 - Georgian Civil Aviation Agency issued new notice to airmen (NOTAM), which extends ban on international regular flights to Georgia until November 1.

International tourism, closed in Georgia since March, had to be restored since July 1, however Georgian government postponed resumption of regular flights at first until August 1, then until September 1, and then until October 1, Tabula reminds.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “““CARLSBERG” HAD ENTERED GEORGIA AND IT WAS OBSTRUCTED BY THE STATE… I WAS ARRESTED THAT EVENING””

September 14, 2020 - Businessman Tsezar Chocheli said that “at the end of 2014, foreigners had visited Zedazeni [brewing enterprise], they were interested in partnership”.

Danish company “Carlsberg had to enter Georgia and that was obstructed by the state, as the company [i.e. Zedazeni] was seized in the same evening”, while I was arrested, Chocheli pointed in interview to Forbes Talks.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “CORONAVIRUS IS IDENTIFIED AT TOTAL OF UP TO 50 EMPLOYEES OF “ENGURHES””

September 14, 2020 - Levan Mebonia, head of executive board of EngurHES, declared that COVID-19 is detected among employees of this largest Georgian hydroelectric station. At first, 4 employees were infected, while then 28 and 16, one of whom is a resident of Zugdidi, while remained – of the villages of Saberio, he reported.




TABULA: “600 WARNED AND UP TO 15 FINED BUSINESS SUBJECTS – LABOR INSPECTION IN AJARA”

September 14, 2020 - Beka Peradze, head of Ajara department for labor inspection, reported that because of recent COVID-19 spread, “we checked both food objects and sports objects, trade malls and chain markets”, as well as public transport.

Because of revealed violations, 600 business entities are warned, while 15 ones fined in Ajara, Peradze said, adding that operation of up to 300 vehicles is suspended and warnings are issued.

macroeconomics & budget

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “WE HAVE TO CONTINUE PACE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF FISCAL POLICY AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WHICH WE HAVE, IN ORDER THAT PROCESS OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY WAS EVEN MORE ACCELERATED BY 2021 – IVANE MACHAVARIANI”

September 17, 2020 - Ivane Machavariani, Georgia’s Finance Minister, declared that final indicator of Georgian economy of this year was coordinated with the IMF mission. The IMF expects that the economy will be reduced this year by 5%, he said.




TABULA: “FOR THE LAST 15 DAYS, LARI DEPRECIATED AGAINST DOLLAR BY 8 TETRI, AGAINST EURO – BY 9 TETRI”

September 16, 2020 - For the last 15 days, Georgian lari depreciated against the US dollar by 8 tetri, while against euro – by 9 tetri, Tabula reports.

If on September 1 the exchange rate against the US dollar was 3.0714 GEL/USD, then on September 15 – already 3.1546 GEL/USD.




REZONANSI: “CORONAVIRUS ATTACKS LARI ON LARGE SCALE ALREADY FOR THE SECOND TIME”

September 15, 2020 - “Beginning of the second wave of the pandemic, at which we all look with fear now, will affect lari exchange rate”, says Aleksandre Dzneladze, president of Georgian Banks Association. “Though, I doubt that it will cause considerable fluctuations”, he notes.

companies

FORBES GEORGIA: “HOW MANY MILLION IN INCOME “ADJARABET” HAS”

September 18, 2020 - In its report for 2019, Adjarabet (LLC Aviator, gambling activity) indicates that income during the reporting year amounted to 220.6 million lari.

Net profit made up 76.4 million lari, so net profit margin of the company makes up 35%.

ecology & health

TABULA: “IMNADZE: WHAT I SAW IN AJARA IN SMALL SHOPS AND MINIBUSES, IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT WORSE DID NOT HAPPEN”

September 18, 2020 - Paata Imnadze, deputy director of Georgian National Center for Diseases Control, says that large supermarkets and hotels in Ajara very well obey all rules for prevention of COVID-19 spread.

“However, unfortunately, what I saw in the city, whether it be small shops or taxi and minibuses, it was a good thing that worse did not happen”, Imnadze points.




NETGAZETI.GE: “GEORGIA WAS IN “YELLOW ZONE” AT FIRST, WHILE IS IN “GREEN” NOW – WHAT HAPPENED?”

September 16, 2020 - Tamar Gabunia, Georgia’s Deputy Minister of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Labor, Healthcare andSocial Protection, said on September 10 that Georgia with COVID-19 incidence rate of 10.2 (number of new cases during certain period) has passed into so-called “yellow zone” with “relatively raised care”.

On September 14, head of Georgian National Center for Diseases Control Amiran Gamkrelidze said that Georgia still remains in “green zone” and that average rate of incidence makes up 1.74, i.e. is much lower, than was declared last week, Netgazeti.Ge points, explaining that the Center and the Ministry had changed the calculation method.




TABULA: “SHAVISHVILI: THERE IS NO CLUSTER VISION IN AJARA ANY MORE, THE VIRUS IS SPREAD IN ALL STRATA OF SOCIETY”

September 15, 2020 - “There is no cluster vision anymore, because there is a spread [of COVID-19] in all strata of society”, head of Ajara Center for Public Healthcare Rusudan Shavishvili says. At that, she assures that the situation in connection with COVID-19 is under control.

finances & banking

FORBES GEORGIA: “LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS, MADE IN CONCEPT OF MORTGAGE, OR ATTEMPT OF PROTECTION OF PROPERTY AGAINST THE OWNER”

September 18, 2020 - The magazine publishes review of mortgage-related legislative amendments, authored by Nino Giorgadze, legal adviser of Grant Thornton. The review concerns legislative amendments to Georgian Civil Code, made in 2018.