Economic Press Monitor September 16 - 22, 2018	Days:  08 15 22 29 06

economic & politics

REZONANSI: “LAW ON TOBACCO CAUSE A QUARREL BETWEEN MAJORITY MPS”

September 21, 2018 - The Parliament considers legislative amendments, which release casinos form ban on tobacco smoking in public space.

However, Gambling Business Association considers that the law should mention not only casino, but also place of arrangement of hazardous/advantageous games (except incentive draws) in general.




REZONANSI: “IVANISHVILI STAYED IN CHKHARTISHVILI’S HOUSE FOR 5 HOURS: I SPOKE WITH BIDZINA ABOUT FOLKLORE”

September 21, 2018 - The newspaper reports that Bidzina Ivanishvili (billionaire leader of ruling Georgian Dream) stayed in the house of businessman Vano Chkhartishvili for about 5 hours.

Chkhartishvili claims that he spoke with Ivanishvili about folklore only and did not discuss the recently publicized hidden record, where he distributes shares in cigarette business on behalf of Ivanishvili, the newspaper says.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “WE ASSUME THAT IN NEXT 2-3 YEARS, WE CAN FREELY REACH EXPORT OF BILLION LARI”

September 19, 2018 - “We assume that in next 2-3 years, we can freely reach export of one billion lari”, Georgia’s Finance Minister Ivane Machavariani declared on air of TV company Imedi, while commenting an issue of cannabis export. “It is very important for the Georgian economy”, he noted.




TABULA: “NATO CHKHEIDZE: WE REJECTED CORRUPTION DEAL, THAT IS WHY “OGT” IS CLOSED”

September 18, 2018 - Broadcasting company Rustavi-2 showed the hidden record of conversation of, allegedly, businessmen Vano Chkhartishvili, Zaza Okuashvili (founder of Omega Group) and Irakli Chubinishvili (shareholder of Tbilisi Tobacco), who speak about division of Omega Group and formation of new holding, Tabula reports.

Owner of 50% of this holding had to be the organization, which participants of the conversation named “the fund”.




REZONANSI: “CORRUPTION GOT INTO TOURISM TOO”

September 18, 2018 - Giorgi Sigua, organizer of electronic music festival GEMFest, claims that head of National Tourism Administration Giorgi Chogovadze launders budgetary funds in Russia. Chogovadze “spends millions of lari allegedly for advertising campaign in Russia, while actually these are companies of his relatives and friends, from where he gets bribes”, Sigua explains.




REZONANSI: “GVARAMIA: FOREIGNERS CALLED KUMSISHVILI “MR. 10 PERCENT””

September 18, 2018 - Nika Gvaramia, director of broadcasting company Rustavi-2, claims that “upon personal conversations, even foreigners called Kumsishvili [ex-minister of economy and sustainable development] “Mr. 10 percent”“.

“He was a shareholder practically everywhere”, Gvaramia declares and adds: “certainly, not Kumsishvili, but high substances in the person of him”.




REZONANSI: “PATRIARCH WAS PERSUADED TO CONSENT, AUTHORITIES WON THIS STAGE OF FIGHT FOR MARIJUANA CULTIVATION”

September 17, 2018 - Sunday sermon of the Patriarch left out of ground the Georgian clergy, which fiercely opposed legalization of cannabis business, so protest actions have stopped, the newspaper reports.

The article notes that the Patriarch practically agreed with the plan of marijuana cultivation with the only reservation that this subject was not given to private business, but to be the state monopoly.

macroeconomics & budget

KVIRIS PALITRA: “THE CITY HALL WASTED HALF A MILLION LARI?”

September 17, 2018 - The newspaper reminds that during stay of David Narmania in the office of Tbilisi Mayor, the City Hall hired German company A+S Consult GmbH Forschung und Entwicklung for settlement of problems of traffic jams, to which 40,000 EUR was paid.

After research of the company, it was decided to start reconstruction of Saakadze Square that cost 514,370 lari the City Hall in 2017, the newspaper reports.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “TARIFF COULD GROW FROM 12.5 TETRI TO 27.5 – SCANDALOUS CONCLUSION OF THE WORLD BANK”

September 20, 2018 - The 17-page conclusion of the World Bank on large hydroelectric station projects – Nenskra, Namakhvani and Koromkheti, prepared at the beginning of this year, was classified in Georgia, the newspaper reports.

In the conclusion, the World Bank says that as a result of construction of these hydroelectric stations, Georgia will receive electricity at higher price, than it was until that, so consumer tariff will considerably grow, the newspaper says.




FORBES GEORGIA: “HOW FUEL PRICE CHANGED IN GEORGIA AND THE WORLD”

September 18, 2018 - Referring to Global Petrol Prices portal, the magazine reports that as of September, 1 liter of fuel costs in the world $1.16 on average.

In Georgia, as of September 10, the average price made up $0.93 (0.43 lari).

conflict and court

TABULA: ““GDI” TO APPEAL AGAINST PROHIBITION, ESTABLISHED ON WHEAT TRANSPORTATION, IN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT”

September 20, 2018 - Non-governmental organization Georgian Democratic Initiative (GDI) will appeal in Constitutional Court against the Finance Minister’s order concerning wheat transportation, Tabula reports.

The order of August 22 applies exclusive right of wheat export-import in Georgia only to railway and ports.

companies

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “CONSTRUCTION PERMITS OF COMPANY “SVETI” COULD BE CANCELLED IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS”

September 19, 2018 - Temur Bolotashvili, head of architectural service of Tbilisi City Hall, declared that construction permits of company Shine will be cancelled, if it will not submit documentation requested 2 months ago.

The term of submission of documentation expires on September 1, while deadline for execution of permits’ terms – at the end of October, Bolotashvili noted.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “HEAD OF “GEORGIAN AIRPORTS ASSOCIATION” LEFT THE OFFICE”

September 19, 2018 - Keti Aleksidze left the office of head of the state LLC Georgian Airports Association, the newspaper reports. Aleksidze herself declares that she filed resignation by own will.

transport & communications

FORBES GEORGIA: “MAIN PLAYERS OF CASPIAN AND BLACK SEA REGION GATHERED ON “ARGUS” CONFERENCE”

September 20, 2018 - On September 12-13, Tbilisi hosted the 5^th Caspian and Black Sea Transport Corridor conference of Argus.

Over 150 delegates from 15 countries, representing oil industry, logistics and transport, ports and terminals and other spheres, discussed at the conference current situation and prospects of the transport corridor.




REZONANSI: “DRIVERS HAVE TO PAY FOR PARKING 1,500 LARI ANNUALLY”

September 19, 2018 - Since 2019, besides annual parking fee of 50 lari, drivers in some districts of Tbilisi should pay additional hourly fee for the parking, the newspaper reports.

Vice-Mayor Irakli Khmaladze says that “perhaps, cost of commercial parking will be accepted as the upper limit”.




FORBES GEORGIA: “FOR WHAT PURPOSE INTERNET IS USED IN GEORGIA”

September 17, 2018 - Share of households, which have Internet access, makes up in Georgia 69.5%, the magazine reports. The highest rate is recorded in Tbilisi (85.5%), Ajara (80.3%) and Samegrelo – Zemo Svaneti region (66%).

finances & banking

FORBES GEORGIA: “MURTAZ KIKORIA LEAVES NATIONAL BANK”

September 20, 2018 - Vice-president of National Bank of Georgia (NBG) Murtaz Kikoria leaves NBG Council on November 30 on the basis of own statement, the magazine reports. Kikoria became the Council member in December 2016.

tourism

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “YACHT-CLUB TO BE BUILT IN BATUMI”

September 21, 2018 - Ajara Minister of Finance and Economy Jaba Putkaradze declared that the autonomy government “has certain initiatives concerning cruise companies”.

“We think to create a regional hub, where international companies will have a certain support and other benefits, if they open regional offices and representations in Ajara”, Putkaradze explained.