Business Ombudsman releases 9-month period activity statistics

The Office of the Business Ombudsman has released nine-month activity statistics for 2019. According to the published report, in the first nine months of 2019, 249 business applications were registered at the Office of the Business Ombudsman. As a result, based on the requests of entrepreneurs, during the same period, the Office of the Business Ombudsman made 137 written responses to administrative authorities in support of business interests. Among them, it sent 76 petitions, 31 recommendations, and 30 conclusions. During this period, state agencies fully or partially took into account the position of business ombudsman in 68%(129 in total) of completed cases.

According to statistics published by the Office, most frequently companies ask business ombudsman for help in relations with the Ministry of Finance of Georgia in general or various agencies within the ministry. The majority of those companies are small and medium-sized businesses and most of the remittances are related to tax administration issues.

50% of the remuneration (130 applications) is coming from by companies operating in manufacturing, retail and wholesale services.

Tbilisi is the most active place by far in Georgia. In 9 months of 2019, 60% of cases registered in the Office of Business Ombudsman are from Tbilisi (148 applications), followed by Adjara with 36 applications (15%).

In 9 months of 2019, 36 cases were registered in the Office of the Business Ombudsman of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. 35% of these requests are from the construction and infrastructure sectors, and businesses often petition the Ombudsman's Office with the City Hall (20% of the total amount).

In these 9 months, the cases 26 companies were discussed in the Ministry of Finance's Dispute Resolution Board with the involvement of the Business Ombudsman, and in 90% (23 cases) the position of the Business Ombudsman was fully or partially taken into consideration by the Ministry.

The Business Ombudsman Office oversees the protection of the rights and legal interests of a person in the field of entrepreneurial activity on the territory of Georgia, reveals the violation of these rights and legal interests by the administrative body and promotes the restoration of the violated rights of the person following the law.