Prime minister holds governmental session
By Khatia Bzhalava
Tuesday, May 5
At the governmental session held on May 4th, the Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced that all kinds of traffic restrictions imposed on the cities of Batumi and Kutaisi would be lifted from May 5th. The MPs at the session discussed issues such as providing assessment to the people left unemployed, facilitating factors of economic revival and informing the minority ethnic groups.
According to the PM, traffic restrictions still remain in force in Tbilisi and Rustavi. However, he expressed hopes that the issue of these two cities would be resolved by the end of the week.
Prior to the session, the PM announced that the government would discuss those social-economical events that had already been planned and presented. He stated that they would initiate the decree of the government as well as changes in the tax code.
Changes in the tax code regard stimulating events carried out in terms of subsidising income taxes for companies and are directed straight at maintaining workplaces in the country as much as possible. The decree of the government is focussed on approval of the social events, intending support of the citizens who have lost their jobs. As Gakharia claims, everyone who lost income amid the pandemic will receive this kind of support.
The PM also mentioned that the Ministry of Agriculture has developed an effective plan for supporting the farmers which will be introduced in the coming days.
“We should all understand that revival of the village and supporting the farmers is gaining completely fresh value and dimension alongside the challenges we face every day, even grocery safety-wise,” noted the PM.
According to Gakharia, the second phase of a 6-phase plan of economic opening might be commenced beforehand. However, he stressed that unless all the recommendations given by the Ministry of Healthcare are followed, including changes in our everyday lifestyle as well as in daily activities of companies, discussion about economic revival appears irrelevant.
The PM emphasized the fact that masks and social distancing are becoming part of our lifestyles.
“We will only be able to revive and open the economy If the Ministry of Healthcare manages the epidemic situation, therefore social distancing and face masks need to become an integral part of our everyday lives as it is the only way for us to be effective in terms of recovering the economy.”
As Gakharia stated at the session, economic revival and economic opening are becoming the number one priorities of the government. According to him, in the following days the government will discuss and unveil the strategy plan elaborated by the Ministry of Economy, which intends recovering the most affected sector- tourism.
Gakharia also noted that every citizen of Georgia will be provided with services in the framework of the state of emergency equally, regardless of their ethnic origins or lodging region. He called on local municipalities inhabited by ethnic minorities to double their effort and provide all the citizens with information and benefits enjoined by the state. In addition, he urged the governors to take effective steps in this direction.
The PM also announced that all companies working in the construction sector, as well as those producing construction materials, will resume functioning from the 5th of May and stressed that daily inspections would continue implemented by the special team of the Ministries of Health and Economy. He also mentioned that from May 5th the car repair companies would be permitted to resume working as well and estimated their work as ‘crucial for both the logistics business and shipping.’
