The Messenger #150 (1417)

Wednesday, August 8, 2007, #150 (1417)

Press Scanner

Headline: Management of the market to be charged?
Human Rights Defense of Georgia has called for the management of the Dezertirebi Bazaar to be charged with misreporting financial details to authorities, Sakartvelos Respublika reports.

At a press conference on August 6 Giorgi Lagidze, head of the organization, declared that traders who officially paid taxes ought to be registered by the management of the Dezertirebi Bazaar.

"In reality, 6 000 to 7 000 traders operated in the market. It seems the management of Desertirebi Bazroba gave false information to City Hall, stating only 1084 traders were registered. If this information is proved and it is revealed that the management concealed the numbers, more traders should receive compensation," Lagidze announced at the press conference.

He said the Prosecutor General will be informed, and the Tax Department will be asked to look into the matter.

Headline: Opposition plans mass protest in fall
The Labor Party, the People's Party and other opposition movements protested outside parliament on August 6, Akhali Taoba reports.

The protesters labeled the closure of the Dezertirebis Bazaar "barbaric." They also demanded the president's resignation.

"From fall, we plan mass protests and that will be the government's end. We will see it off to hell," declared Labor Party leader, Ioseb Shatberashvili.

According to Avtandil Modebadze, head of the Dezertirebis Bazaar protest committee, if traders are not satisfied with their stall locations and the compensation they receive, the group's requests will become political demands.

Headline: Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs denies all responsibility on China goods
The Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs declines all responsibility for Chinese goods imported to Georgia, said a ministry representative. The representative told journalists that goods imported from China have international certification and that the ministry has no right to recheck them.

However, Georgia has not yet received official documentation from international bodies proving Chinese goods are safe.

Deputy Health Minister Davit Meskhishvili confirmed that 140 000 toys made by Mattel in China were recalled after a dangerous amount of lead was found in them.

Headline: Russian embassy explains reasons for stopping flights
The Russian embassy in Georgia has explained why 'humanitarian' flights to Russia were cancelled, Akhali Taoba writes.

Russian diplomats stated that they had agreed to allow 'humanitarian' flights between Russia and Georgia, to transport school children on their summer holidays.

While the Russian negotiators demanded that Russian airline Aeroflot operate the flights, the Georgians were insistent that the carrier be Georgian, causing negotiations to fail, said the embassy.