Economic Press Monitor September 23 - 29, 2018	Days:  15 22 29 06 13

economic & politics

REZONANSI: ““THIS SCANDAL CANCELLED ALL ACHIEVEMENTS OF HEALTH SPHERE, THE MINISTER HAS TO RESIGN” – CHICHINADZE ABOUT PHARMACEUTICAL SCANDAL”

September 28, 2018 - Gia Tvalavadze, former head of the Agency for State Regulation of Medical Activity, is detained on a charge of abuse of official powers and assistance to so-called pharmaceutical drug addiction, the newspaper reports.

The article indicates that Tvalavadze’s income totaled to 4.09 million lari.




NETGAZETI.GE: “ADVERTISING OF GAMBLING TO BE CONSIDERABLY LIMITED – DRAFT BILL”

September 28, 2018 - Amendments, drafted for the law “On Advertising”, prohibit gambling’s advertising on radio, television, online and other means of communication, Netgazeti.Ge reports. The article indicates that prohibition will not apply to advertising of incentive draws, except hazardous.




BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “FOREIGN INVESTORS BECAME INTERESTED IN CONSTRUCTION OF MARIJUANA ENTERPRISES IN GEORGIA”

September 28, 2018 - Representatives of political association Girchi declare that foreign investors are interested in construction of cannabis greenhouses and processing enterprises in Georgia for the purpose of export, the newspaper reports.

Girchi’s representative Nika Oboladze declares that legalization of consumption and sale of marijuana will lead to growth of investments, tourism and revenues.




NETGAZETI.GE: “BURCHULADZE – IVANISHVILI OFFERED ME BIG MONEY AND PRESIDENCY”

September 26, 2018 - Famous opera singer Paata Burchuladze declared on air of Rustavi-2 broadcasting company that before arrival to the power, Bidzina Ivanishvili (billionaire leader of now-ruling Georgian Dream) suggested him to become the president of Georgia.

According to Burchuladze, he refused because of career and highly paid performances.




FORBES GEORGIA: “ECONOMIC FREEDOM – HOW PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION IN GEORGIA IS ESTIMATED”

September 26, 2018 - According to Fraser Institute’s report on world economic freedom in 2018 (based on data of 2016), Georgia occupies the 7^th place among 162 countries.

Worst results Georgia has in criterion of legal systems and property rights protection (the 35^th place), the magazine reports.




REZONANSI: “12-15% OF ARABLE LANDS PASSED INTO THE HANDS OF FOREIGNERS”

September 25, 2018 - Georgian authorities had to adopt the bill concerning sale of agricultural land to foreigners until end of September, however the process is postponed indefinitely, the newspaper says.

Meanwhile, term of moratorium, established on land alienation to foreigners, has expired and foreign citizens manage to acquire it again, the article notes.




TABULA: “GIORGI KVIRIKASHVILI BECAME EBRD COUNSELOR, HE WILL WORK ON UZBEKISTAN ISSUE”

September 25, 2018 - Referring to BMG (TV Pirveli), Tabula reports that Georgia’s ex-prime minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili became the EBRD counselor.

According to the ex-premier, he signed a contract a few weeks ago and his duties will include assistance in creation of platform of dialogue between public and private sectors in Uzbekistan.




FORBES GEORGIA: ““FREEDOM INDEX” OF GEORGIA”

September 25, 2018 - According to “Freedom Barometer” of Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Georgia’s score makes up 66.15 out of 100 possible ones, the magazine reports. The article indicates that the score has increased by 1.5 points.




KVIRIS PALITRA: “HOW MONEY IS LAUNDERED BY TOTALIZATORS”

September 24, 2018 - There are several schemes of money laundering from account in the totalizator, the newspaper says.

The article brings as example the situation, when several people negotiate in advance and sit down to a table of online poker.




TABULA: “KOBAKHIDZE: IVANISHVILI SECURED DEFEAT OF ELITE CORRUPTION IN OUR COUNTRY”

September 24, 2018 - Speaker of Georgian Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze declared that connection of Bidzina Ivanishvili (billionaire leader of ruling Georgian Dream) with case of Omega Group is absolutely excluded.

Ivanishvili “is that person, who secured defeat of elite corruption in our country”, Kobakhidze stated.

macroeconomics & budget

FORBES GEORGIA: “THE US DOLLAR VS CURRENCIES OF GEORGIA AND COUNTRIES OF THE REGION”

September 28, 2018 - In August, exchange rate of lari against the US dollar depreciated month-on-month by 3.5%, while against euro – by 2.3%, the magazine reports, referring to data of the Parliament’s Budgetary Office. In turn, year-on-year devaluation of lari made up in August respective 5.4% and 3.2%.




TABULA: “TBILISI CITY HALL HELD 27 RECEPTIONS IN 2017, WHICH COST 131,000 LARI”

September 27, 2018 - Referring to Facebook group Money Waste Detector, Tabula reports that Tbilisi City Hall held 27 receptions in 2017, which cost 131,000 lari to the capital budget.

According to the same source, from 2017 to August 2018, the City Hall’s expenses on representation made up 771,882 lari.




REZONANSI: “LARI BARRED ALL WAYS TO STRENGTHENING, DEPRECIATION WILL CONTINUE UNTIL JANUARY”

September 25, 2018 - During the last 2 weeks, National Bank of Georgia (NBG) withdrew $15 million (purchased on currency auctions), whereas it, on the contrary, had to offer dollars on the market, the newspaper points. As a result, the exchange rate raised to 2.63 GEL/USD, the article specifies.

energy, oil & gas

FORBES GEORGIA: “EBRD WILL FINANCE CONSTRUCTION OF “KHELEDULAHES””

September 27, 2018 - EBRD will allocate $30 million for construction of KheledulaHES, the magazine reports. As the article notes, total cost of the project makes up $87 million.

companies

TABULA: “ENTRY OF MAIN PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE IN “PALITRA-MEDIA” IS CONNECTED WITH THE STATE SUBSIDY”

September 26, 2018 - On September 24, the Main Prosecutor’s officers entered publishing house of Palitra Media, Tabula reports.

According to Palitra Media, investigators requested all legal, accounting, financial and economic documentation for the period of January 1 – September 11 of 2014.




FORBES GEORGIA: “IRAKLI GILAURI LEFT POSITION OF SUPERVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR AT “GHG””

September 24, 2018 - Irakli Gilauri left position of the head of supervisory council at Georgia Healthcare Group (GHG), the magazine reports. However, he remains in Council as non-executive director.

transport & communications

TABULA: “HOW MANY MILLION LARI PAINTING OF CARS IN WHITE COLOR WILL COST TO TAXI DRIVERS”

September 27, 2018 - Since January 1, 2019, only cars, painted in white color, will be allowed to provide taxi service in Tbilisi, Tabula reports.

The article notes that according to the Interior Ministry, there are over 1 million cars in Georgia, of which only 16% are white.




FORBES GEORGIA: “BUDGET REVENUES FROM TRAFFIC PENALTIES INCREASED BY 15M LARI”

September 24, 2018 - The budget revenues from penalties for traffic rules’ violations amounted for the first 8 months of the year to 52 million lari, increasing year-on-year by 15 million lari, the magazine reports.

From these 52 million, 21 million lari had entered the state budget, while remained sum – local budgets.

international cooperation

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “GEORGIANS WILL RECEIVE ISRAELI EMPLOYMENT VISAS WITHOUT ANY FEE”

September 26, 2018 - Itsik Moshe, president of Georgian-Israeli business chamber, declared that issuing Israeli employment visas to Georgian citizens will be resolved in the next year. Georgians will be able to receive such visas without any fee, he noted.

ecology & health

BANKEBI DA FINANSEBI: “VOLUME OF DUST IN THE CAPITAL EXCEEDS ADMISSIBLE NORM – CAR WITHOUT CATALYST, PERHAPS, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS CHECKUP”

September 27, 2018 - Kakha Kuchava, chairman of Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Environmental Protection, names faulty vehicle fleet as one of the major reasons for air pollution in Tbilisi, the newspaper reports.

Kuchava declared to journalists that car checkup requirements could be toughened, including demand of obligatory existence of catalyst.