Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development meets representatives of minerals sector
By Levan Abramishvili
Monday, December 30
The Minister of Economy briefed the participants on the ongoing reforms in the sector and simplified procedures within the framework of the reform. Sector representatives, in exchange, told the Minister of the challenges they face, stressing particularly the importance of the sector reforms that allow them to receive licenses by streamlined procedures for processing inert materials.
The meeting was attended by representatives of sand and inert materials mining and processing companies. The products they produce are largely used by the local construction sector.
As Turnava stated after the meeting, the reform of the minerals sector is a top priority and so far, it has been a success. She believes it was rational to hold such a large-scale meeting with the appropriate stakeholders.
“Inert materials extraction and processing is one of the fastest-growing industries in Georgia and it is a major contributor to the local construction industry,” said the Minister. According to her, there’s a need for inert mining, and at the meeting, the discussion was about how to make this industry focused on larger technology investments.
“It is welcomed that there are so many opportunities and so much profitable business activity, that the entrepreneurs have so many resources that they’re thinking about processing, development, expansion. On our part, we have begun simplifying procedures,” she added.
According to the Minister, the law has been amended and has passed the stage of the first hearing at the Parliament. It entails that the entrepreneur, who has a mining company and wants to process, the State transfers the land more efficiently, easily and without any bureaucratic procedures on which the enterprise will be built.
The Minister inspected the process of recycling minerals carried out by European high-tech machines.
Kavkaz Cement Georgia Ltd owns European standard equipment for recycling on-site. The plant employs 35 local citizens and plans to increase their number in the coming years. The enterprise has invested in GEL 3,500,000. The company has been licensed to extract minerals in 2018 for a term of 20 years.
As for the Georgian Building Group, in 2018 and 2019, 3 licenses were issued for mining in the Mtskheta municipality, near Ksvrisi village and Tezi village, in Ksani river sand-gravel extraction. The sale price of licenses is GEL 582 726.3. The licenses are valid until the end of 2023.