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The News in Brief

Wednesday, June 30
Medical imports not to be taxed

Imported medical items will not be subject to VAT. Minister of Health and Social Care Sandro Kvitashvili and Minister of Finance Kakha Baindurashvili stated this while discussing the new Tax Code of Georgia.

Baindurashvili said that in order not to hinder the attraction of investments and increase the cost of medical services the existing tax privileges for medical items will remain and medical imports will not be subject to VAT. Only the import of jacuzzis, tanning cabins and other equipment with a cosmetic function will be charged. (Prime News)



People evacuated from Defence Ministry due to fire

People were evacuated from the office of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia ysterday due to a fire breaking out inside the building at noon. Firefighters, rescue brigades and patrol police were promptly mobilised around the building and organised the evacuation of the personnel. They say no one was injured in the incident.

Reportedly, the fire was caused by a problem in the air ventilation system. Rescuers are checking the system. (Rustavi 2)



Governors of five villages arrested for machinations

The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Finance has conducted a large-scale anti-corruption operation in the Guria and Imereti regions and arrested the Governors of five villages, who are suspected of machinations.

Tariel Dzneladze, Governor of the village of Gurnati in Chokhatauri municipality and Amiran Chagunava, Governor of the village of Nigoeti in the Lanchkhuti municipality are suspected of bribery and document forgery. By forging documents they issued illegal licences confirming the origin of logs. The amount of bribes they allegedly took depended on the quantity of logs indicated.

The Governors of the villages of Sakraula and Khani in the Baghdati municipality were also arrested on document forgery and bribery charges. The Governor of the village of Korbouli, Mamuka Macharashvili, was also arrested for issuing forged licences and was caught red-handed taking a bribe.

The suspects face from 2 to 9 years in prison. (Rustavi 2)



University librarians retrained

Minister of Education and Science Dimitri Shashkin, Rector of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University George Khubua and Director of the National Scientific Library, Irakli Gharibashvili attended an award ceremony for 62 specialists at the TSU library. The librarians were awarded certificates.

By the order of the TSU directorate the TSU librarians were retrained at the National Scientific Library Educational Centre of Librarians’ Qualification Advancement. Representatives of the National Manuscript Centre, Ministry of Justice, National Museum and the Library of the Institute of Georgian Literature were among them. Librarians from more than 50 institutions passed the training courses.

Seminars, trainings and presentations on different information and library affairs issues are held at the centre. Educational programmes cover principles of modern librarian and IT standards and library management.

The National Scientific Library was established in 1941. 3,000,000 scientific documents, 2, 500,000 journals and 20,000,000 patents are kept in this library. Several unique publications dating from 1530 and scientific books in foreign languages are held in this library. (Rustavi 2)



Suspect in murder of Deputy Director General of Tbilisi Bus detained

Officers of the Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Regional Main Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have detained Zurab Solomonashvili, Inga Tsuladze-Jvarsheishvili and Zviad Sakvarelidze, who are suspected of murdering Gia Tsuladze, the Deputy Director General of Tbilisi Bus.

An investigation has established that Inga Tsuladze ordered Zviad Sakvarelidze to kill her husband in April of 2009 and promised to pay him 5,000 USD. Sakvarelidze contacted Zurab Solomonishvili, who murdered Gia Tsuladze with a shotgun on April 29, 2009, it is alleged. The housekeeper, Elene Tushishvili, who conducted negotiations between Inga Tsuladze and Zviad Sakvarelidze, was also detained. After the murder Inga Tsuladze paid 3,000 EUR to Zviad Sakvarelidze with the assistance of Tushishvili.

The investigation is being conducted by officers of the Tbilisi Police Main Division under Articles 18, 179, 24, 109 and 236 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. (Interpressnews)



Honduras delegation visits Kakheti

The delegation from Honduras has familiarised itself with Municipal Development Fund projects in the Kakheti region.

The Executive Director of the Municipal Development Fund, a representative of the World Bank and the delegation from Honduras observed the rehabilitation works ongoing in the municipality of Lagodekhi.

The Municipal Development Fund will undertake 12 new projects in the Kakheti region at an overall cost of GEL 16 m. (Interpressnews)