Saakashvili optimistic

During his report to Parliament President Saakashvili stated that according to the estimations of international financial organizations, in particular the IMF, Georgia has a real chance of being among the ten countries least affected by the world financial crisis. According to him Georgia is merely in some economic difficulty, not crisis. The banking system is stable, the state is making serious investments in the country’s economy and Georgia receives very strong assistance from donor organizations and countries. The national currency is stable, inflation is under control, salaries and pensions are distributed timeously, most jobs have been maintained, new jobs are still being created.

Saakashvili is sure that in 2009 GDP increase will continue. He names economic revival as a major priority of Government bodies. He also highlights that peace, political stability, and unity are absolutely necessary to achieve these things. He is hereby hinting that if the opposition comes out into the streets this will destabilize the country and thus cause economic downfall. Therefore all responsibility for any problem would lie on the opposition’s shoulders.

Former Minister of Economy and now independent expert Lado Papava challenges the President’s assertion’s, stating that such stability as exists is not the result of correct Government policy but assistance from donors. The Brussels conference, when many countries agreed to assist Georgia after the war, rescued the country and the allotted money has made it easier for Georgia to resist economic downfall, thinks Papava.