Economic Press Monitor January 20 - 26, 2019	Days:  12 19 26 02 09

economic & politics

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “GOGITA TODRADZE: PERSONS, WHO MAKE PRODUCTS FOR OWN CONSUMPTION, WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM SELF-EMPLOYED CATEGORY”

January 25, 2019 - Referring to Sakstat, the newspaper reports that methodology of unemployment rate determination will be changed in Georgia. That became known after the meeting of representatives of Sakstat and International Labor Organization (ILO).




FORBES GEORGIA: “FRAGILE STATES INDEX – GEORGIA ROSE IN THE RATING”

January 21, 2019 - Referring to Fragile States Index 2018, published by The Fund for Peace, the magazine reports that Georgia occupies the 83^rd place among 178 countries.

The country’s rating score makes up 74 of 120, against of 76.5 in 2017 (the 79^th position) that means that risks for Georgia decreased, the article points.

macroeconomics & budget

FORBES GEORGIA: “WHO GEORGIAN EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR – MOST FREQUENTLY ANNOUNCED VACANCIES”

January 24, 2019 - In 2017, Georgian private employment agency Hr.Ge published over 30,000 vacancies, the magazine reports.

Research, conducted in 2018 by order of Georgian the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, showed that 34.2% of vacancies were announced in services and sales.

energy, oil & gas

REZONANSI: “NOBODY CONTROLS SAFETY OF AUTOGAS STATIONS”

January 23, 2019 - Academician Simon Baramidze considers unacceptable operation of autogas filling stations near to settlements and work places.

“Apart from the fact that these stations create danger themselves, exactly this business hampers addition of odorator to household gas”, Baramidze declares.




NETGAZETI.GE: “TURNAVA: REGULATIONS, RELATED TO GAS SUPPLY, WILL BE TOUGHENED”

January 22, 2019 - Natia Turnava, Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, declared that regulation, related to gas supply to consumers, will be toughened, Netgazeti.Ge reports.

According to Turnava, revision of acting legal base is actively underway in direction of accurate definition and toughening of rights and obligations of all parties, participating in the process.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “WHO IS GUILTY, OR BLOWN-UP IRRESPONSIBILITY – WHY DANGER OF THE TRAGEDY REPETITION EXISTS”

January 21, 2019 - For the last 3 years, 86 people died in Tbilisi because of gas leak, while explosions because of gas leak killed 6 people for the last 3 months, the newspaper reports.

The article brings comment on explosion as a result of gas leak in Tbilisi on January 16, made by former deputy director of KazTransGas-Tbilisi (Tbilisi gas distributor company) Soso Simonishvili.




TABULA: “ECONOMY MINISTER: WE WORK ON IMPROVEMENT OF CONTRACT WITH “GAZPROM””

January 21, 2019 - Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Kobulia declared that negotiations with Russian Gazprom are currently underway held, so conditions of the former contract act so far. “We speak about significant improvement of this contract”, he declared to Rustavi-2 TV company.

companies

NETGAZETI.GE: ““BEELINE” HAS DECIDED TO QUIT GEORGIA – BEKAURI”

January 24, 2019 - Mobile operator VEON (Beeline) plans to leave Georgian market, Netgazeti.Ge reports with reference to statement of Georgian National Communication Commission chairman Kakha Bekauri.

Bekauri pointed at exit from Georgian market of TeliaSonera, which sold mobile operator Geocell (it was acquired by local operator SilkNet), and declared that for the last 2-3 years, competition on the local communication market has decreased.

transport & communications

FORBES GEORGIA: “HOW MUCH MOBILE INTERNET COSTS IN GEORGIA AND IN COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD”

January 25, 2019 - In 2013-2017, prices of mobile Internet packages in Georgia decreased by 59% on average, the magazine reports.

Namely, MagtiCom and Geocell decreased prices of package of 500-700 MB by 70%, while of 1-1.5 GB – by 67%.




REZONANSI: “WHEN AND HOW MACH SERVICE OF MOBILE NETWORKS WILL RISE IN PRICE?”

January 21, 2019 - Service of mobile networks rises in price that the companies explain with improved quality, the newspaper reports.

As the article notes, SilkNet plans tariff changes since March 1.

ecology & health

REZONANSI: “EPIDEMIC OF SWINE FLU AND MEASLES INFLICTED DAMAGE OF 500M LARI TO THE COUNTRY”

January 22, 2019 - Referring to own calculations, statistician Soso Archvadze indicates that if swine flu is detected in one of every 20 families, damage to Georgia’s economy, direct or indirect, will amount to sum from 300 to 500 million lari. I assume that in 4-member family, one person gets sick on average, he explains.

finances & banking

REZONANSI: “CREDIT INSTITUTIONS ALREADY JUMPED THROUGH NEW REGULATION”

January 22, 2019 - As a result of regulation of financial sphere, enacted in Georgia in this January, use of online credits, along with other products, is complicated, the newspaper says.

However, the companies already found a way out and offer to consumers a service, bypassing regulation by means of leasing, the article says.

agriculture & food

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “TEA EXPORT FROM GEORGIA INCREASED BY 50% IN A YEAR”

January 25, 2019 - In 2018, Georgia’s export of tea amounted to $3.6 million, the newspaper reports. The article notes that tea export in 2017 amounted to $2.4 million, so the volume’s year-on-year growth made up 50%.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “BY NEW REGULATION, LIST OF INFORMATION TO BE NECESSARILY PLACED ON LABEL EXPANDS”

January 24, 2019 - By new regulation of food labeling, the list of information, to be necessarily placed on label, expands, the newspaper reports.

The matter concerns technical regulations “On Rule of Provision of Information on Food to Consumers – Labeling of Food”, which will enter in force on March 1, 2019.




REZONANSI: “EXPORT OF CATTLE FROM THE COUNTRY IS PARTIALLY FORBIDDEN”

January 23, 2019 - Since January, resolution of the government entered in force, which prohibits export of cattle, if its weight does not exceed 140 kg, the newspaper reports.

The newspaper explains that this decision is reasoned by meat deficit and price growth in the country, caused by export of cattle.

construction

NETGAZETI.GE: “KALADZE: WE MANAGED TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH THE INVESTOR, NOTHING WILL BE BUILT IN VAKE PARK”

January 25, 2019 - After meeting with the investor of hotel Budapest, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze declared that nothing will be built in the capital’s Vake Park. As Netgazeti.Ge reminds, the mentioned hotel was planned to build in the park.




TABULA: “CITY HALL: WE WILL NOT ALLOW CONSTRUCTION OF 30-M HOTEL IN VAKE PARK”

January 22, 2019 - Tbilisi City Hall declares that, despite existence of valid construction permit, they will not allow construction of 30-meter hotel Budapest in Vake Park, Tabula reports. The permit was issued in 2013.

tourism

FORBES GEORGIA: “MOST HIGH-PAID AND DEMANDED PROFESSIONS IN TOURISM SECTOR”

January 23, 2019 - As of September 1, 2018, there were 71,514 people engaged in Georgian industry of tourism.

Referring to a market research, applying to 1,000 enterprises, the magazine reports that the labor force in the industry is distributed as follows: catering – 37%, transport – 32%, accommodation – 226%, tourist service – 5%.