TABULA: “SOME PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES ARTIFICIALLY RAISED PRICE OF CANCER MEDICINES – MINISTRY”
March 24, 2023 - Georgian Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Labor, Healthcare and Social Protection declared that after enactment of reference prices for medicines, some pharmaceutical companies “committed another unfair action”.
The Ministry said that this time, the case concerns expensive oncological medicines, which are out of scope of reference prices and which are funded by the state within the universal healthcare program.
NETGAZETI.GE: “RUSSIA CONSIDERS OPENING A RUSSIAN WINE CERTIFICATE ISSUING LAB IN GEORGIA”
March 24, 2023 - Russia considers establishment of a wine certification laboratory in Georgia, complying with Russian standards, Netgazeti.Ge reports with reference to Russian sources. The article indicates that as a result, it will not be necessary to get a certificate in Russia proper.
BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “KHUTSISHVILI: ANTI-RUSSIAN SANCTIONS ARE NOT VIOLATED AT GEORGIAN CUSTOMS”
March 24, 2023 - Georgia’s Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili declared that 1,020 decisions on return of sanctioned goods from the country’s customs checkpoints have been made as part of international sanctions, imposed on Russia.
Besides, more than 600 decisions on refusal to entities’ oral/written requests have been made, the Minister said.
TABULA: “APPELLATE COURT UPHELD THE DECISION – KEZERASHVILI IS CHARGED WITH PAYMENT OF 5M EUR”
March 22, 2023 - Tbilisi appellate court charged David Kezerashvili, Georgia’s ex-minister of defense and founder of Formula TV company, payment of 5.06 million EUR (equivalent in lari) in favor of Georgian Defense Ministry.
The Ministry filed a lawsuit in September 2021.
NETGAZETI.GE: “PARLIAMENT RETURNED THE BILL “ON DE-OLIGARCHIZATION” FOR CONSIDERATION IN SECOND HEARING”
March 22, 2023 - The Georgian Parliament returned the draft law “On De-Oligarchization”, which was passed to third (final) hearing, to consideration in second hearing.
As explanation, conclusion of the Venice Commission was named, which indicated necessity of further clarification of a row of issues of the bill.
REZONANSI: “IRAKLI LEKVINADZE: TODAY, BASIC CONSUMPTION PRODUCTS’ PRICE DISCREPANCY IN RETAIL CHAINS IS QUITE NOTICEABLE”
March 21, 2023 - Irakli Lekvinadze, head of Georgian National Competition Agency, said that 10 essential food products with a significant share in the consumer basket were selected in February.
In relation to these products, an analysis of price markups was carried out, from prime cost of imports to the time of delivery to retail chains and then in relation to prices on the shelves in the retail sector, Lekvinadze stated, adding that as a result, quite high markups were identified.
REZONANSI: “CHANGES IN PARLIAMENT AND GOVERNMENT – WHAT PROCESSES ARE TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE RULING TEAM”
March 21, 2023 - Members of the ruling Georgian Dream faction – Vladimir Chachibaia, David Sergeenko and Irakli Kovzanadze chairman of the Fiscal Committee), are leaving the Georgian Parliament. Mikheil Chkhenkeli, Georgian Minister of Education and Science, also left the post.
NETGAZETI.GE: “PROPERTY ABROAD OF DEPUTIES-SUPPORTERS OF THE RUSSIAN LAW”
March 21, 2023 - Netgazeti.Ge has found out what property is owned abroad by members of the Georgian Parliament, who supported the draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” (which caused mass protests and is called “Russian law” in Georgian society). The article reports about property of 7 MPs (in total, 76 MPs supported the draft law).
TABULA: “HEALTHCARE: STARTING FROM MARCH 18, MARGIN PRICES WILL BE ENACTED FOR ADDITIONAL 300 PRODUCTS”
March 20, 2023 - Georgian Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Labor, Healthcare and Social Protection declared that starting from March 18, reference prices will be enacted for additional 300 medicines for chronic and oncological diseases. In total, the upper price limit already applies to more than 1,100 medicines in Georgia.
BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “NATIONAL COMPETITION AGENCY LAUNCHED INVESTIGATION ON TOBACCO MARKET”
March 20, 2023 - Following complaint of an economic agent, Georgian National Competition Agency has launched an investigation into the tobacco market.
The Agency said that the matter concerns possible violations in connection with certain types of cigarettes.
REZONANSI: “RESTAURANT AND CONSTRUCTION SECTORS HAVE STARTED TO BRING LABOR FORCE FROM ABROAD”
March 23, 2023 - Georgians in emigration are employed in higher paid jobs that in their motherland, while in Georgia, businesses have to attract employees from abroad, from countries with cheap labor force, the newspaper says.
Shota Burjanadze, head of Georgian Restaurateurs Association, confirms that the restaurant business is looking for labor force in Central Asian and neighboring countries.
REZONANSI: “LOCAL EXPORT CANNOT GROW ANYMORE – WHAT PREVENTS EXPORT OF GEORGIAN PRODUCTS ABROAD”
March 23, 2023 - In January-February, goods worth $915 million were exported from Georgia abroad, which was 20.3% higher than in the same period of previous year.
In total volume, the CIS countries accounted for 58%, while the EU countries – for 12.6% (against of 21% a year ago).
FORBES GEORGIA: “THE FASTEST GROWING SECTOR OF GEORGIAN ECONOMY – IT, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS”
March 22, 2023 - In 2022, sector of communications and information stood out in terms of growth rate (49.9%) in Georgia. With a volume of 2.9 billion lari, this is the 9th largest sector of the country’s economy.
BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “WHAT PROBLEM CAN WE SEE IN BIG MONEY ENTERED FROM RUSSIA?”
March 20, 2023 - Roman Gotsiridze, opposition MP and ex-president of National Bank of Georgia (NBG), posted a comment on social media regarding high growth of remittances from Russia to Georgia. During the last one year, Georgia received $2.5 billion from Russia that way, he indicated.
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