Press Scanner
Prepared by Diana Dundua
Thursday, March 20
“Soso Tsiskarishvili: The cost of goods will continue to rise!”
Economist Soso Tsiskarishvili says in an interview with Akhali Taoba that rising prices for everyday items are the result of internal factors in Georgia.
“Recent price rises in other countries is the result of rising international electricity prices. This has influenced Georgia as well…but there are more internal factors driving up prices here than elsewhere,” Tsiskarishvili argues, adding that the abolishment of the anti-monopoly commission has also had an impact.
“There is no anti-monopoly service in Georgia, so both import companies and domestic businesses can set any price they want to charge,” he said.
The economist predicts this trend is likely to continue.
“US Chamber of Commerce awards prime minister” Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze received an award from the US Chamber of Commerce, Rezonansi reports.
US Chamber of Commerce president Esben Emborg said the organization will continue supporting the economic interests of its members. “We are going to widen our cooperation with the Georgian government in the near future,” Emborg remarked.
“Mamuka Kvaratskhelia accuses Nodar Akhalkatsi of embezzling GEL 30 million”
Former candidate for the position of president of the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) Mamuka Kvaratskhelia has accused GFF President Nodar Akhalkatsi of embezzling GEL 30 million, Sakartvelos Respublika reports.
At a March 18 press conference Kvaratskhelia said he was ready to accuse Akhalkatsi publicly.
“I demand live TV debates between Nodar Akhalkatsi and me. I want to show society once again that the current GFF president does not care about football at all,” Kvaratskhelia said.
Kvaratskhelia joined the opposition hunger strike that began on March 12.
“Nodar Grigalashvili: The opposition do not learn from their mistakes!”
Majority MP Nodar Grigalashvili hopes the upcoming parliamentary elections will end political opposition protests, according to Akhali Taoba.
He also said that the extremely radical methods used by the opposition would work against them.
“I advise them not to put their health in danger as each and every Georgian is precious for us,” Grigalashvili said, and expressed hope that the protest would not develop into massive demonstrations.
“Prisoner hunger striking in Kutaisi”
The Human Rights Center NGO says an inmate of a Kutaisi prison has been on hunger strike for nine days, according to Rezonansi.
Ilia Tsurtsumia, head of the Equality Institute Khobi branch in western Georgia, expressed solidarity with hunger strikers outside parliament building.
Tsurstumia was arrested for participating in the civil unrest on November 7 and has a three-year sentence, the newspaper writes.
His name is included on the list of ‘political prisoners’ that the opposition presented to the authorities, demanding their release.
The head of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s representation in western Georgia visited Tsurstumia in his cell, where he told her that he would end his hunger strike when hunger strikers outside parliament do the same.
Economist Soso Tsiskarishvili says in an interview with Akhali Taoba that rising prices for everyday items are the result of internal factors in Georgia.
“Recent price rises in other countries is the result of rising international electricity prices. This has influenced Georgia as well…but there are more internal factors driving up prices here than elsewhere,” Tsiskarishvili argues, adding that the abolishment of the anti-monopoly commission has also had an impact.
“There is no anti-monopoly service in Georgia, so both import companies and domestic businesses can set any price they want to charge,” he said.
The economist predicts this trend is likely to continue.
“US Chamber of Commerce awards prime minister” Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze received an award from the US Chamber of Commerce, Rezonansi reports.
US Chamber of Commerce president Esben Emborg said the organization will continue supporting the economic interests of its members. “We are going to widen our cooperation with the Georgian government in the near future,” Emborg remarked.
“Mamuka Kvaratskhelia accuses Nodar Akhalkatsi of embezzling GEL 30 million”
Former candidate for the position of president of the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) Mamuka Kvaratskhelia has accused GFF President Nodar Akhalkatsi of embezzling GEL 30 million, Sakartvelos Respublika reports.
At a March 18 press conference Kvaratskhelia said he was ready to accuse Akhalkatsi publicly.
“I demand live TV debates between Nodar Akhalkatsi and me. I want to show society once again that the current GFF president does not care about football at all,” Kvaratskhelia said.
Kvaratskhelia joined the opposition hunger strike that began on March 12.
“Nodar Grigalashvili: The opposition do not learn from their mistakes!”
Majority MP Nodar Grigalashvili hopes the upcoming parliamentary elections will end political opposition protests, according to Akhali Taoba.
He also said that the extremely radical methods used by the opposition would work against them.
“I advise them not to put their health in danger as each and every Georgian is precious for us,” Grigalashvili said, and expressed hope that the protest would not develop into massive demonstrations.
“Prisoner hunger striking in Kutaisi”
The Human Rights Center NGO says an inmate of a Kutaisi prison has been on hunger strike for nine days, according to Rezonansi.
Ilia Tsurtsumia, head of the Equality Institute Khobi branch in western Georgia, expressed solidarity with hunger strikers outside parliament building.
Tsurstumia was arrested for participating in the civil unrest on November 7 and has a three-year sentence, the newspaper writes.
His name is included on the list of ‘political prisoners’ that the opposition presented to the authorities, demanding their release.
The head of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s representation in western Georgia visited Tsurstumia in his cell, where he told her that he would end his hunger strike when hunger strikers outside parliament do the same.