The News in Brief
Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Prepared by Messenger Staff
PM Gharibashvili talks fuel prices at Gov't meeting
The Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, said at today's government meeting that despite the strengthening of the GEL, the price of fuel did not decrease proportionally, therefore, according to him, it is necessary to intensify the work with fuel importers.
Gharibashvili says that he recommended to the competition agency to start investigating and check the honesty of importers, and how well they follow the competition conditions.
"Of course, we will continue working. As the importers promised us, despite the fact that they reduced 10-10 tetri in July and August, they are going to reduce the price by 20-30 tetri in total by the end of August, but more transparency is needed.
We must provide our citizens with the most detailed information possible - what margins they work with, how much their profit is, etc. The government is doing everything to ensure that, for example, the GEL is stable. Recently, the national currency has strengthened a lot. Considering these and other factors, we urge importers to have more coordination with the government and more communication with our people. I will look into this matter personally, together with our economic team, and later I will provide additional information to our people," said the Prime Minister.
He also recommended the Competition Agency to study the integrity of fuel importers, because, as he says, "there is still a feeling" that fuel is expensive in the country despite the strengthening of the GEL. According to Gharibashvili, on his instructions, the ministers of economy and finance met with importers and this coordination will continue.
"Despite the fact that the GEL has strengthened, fuel prices have decreased on the market, prices have gone down, we still have the feeling that fuel prices have not been reflected accordingly and have not decreased proportionally. Therefore, we need to intensify our work with fuel importers. I addressed the Competition Agency with a recommendation, to start investigating and checking the good faith of importers, how well they follow competition rules," Irakli Gharibashvili said.
'If Georgia is being used by Russia to evade sanctions, the response will be isolation' Toomas Ilves says
According to Toomas Ilves, the former president of Estonia, if it turns out that Georgia is being used by Russia as a way to evade sanctions, the response will be isolation.
"I don't believe that. I do not believe that anyone is trying to drag Georgia into any war. I am one of those accused of wanting war and trying to drag Georgia into the war. I never said anything like that, never. I think this is just the narrative of the current government. I don't understand it at all. I don't know [what drives this narrative]. It's all very strange if you ask me. I have no desire for Georgia to get involved in a war with Russia, of course, nobody wants to get involved in a war with Russia, including Estonia, and why should anyone want that for Georgia?I have never, in any context, expressed or disseminated this opinion. On the other hand, when it comes to sanctions, many other countries do that, which is what we would expect from someone we consider our own. If it turns out that Georgia is really being used by Russia as a means of evading sanctions, then you can be sure that there will be a response, and this response, in my opinion, will be very severe. [This response can be] isolation," said Ilves.
Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria comments on EU report, says West sees no progress
The leader of Droa, Elene Khoshtaria, evaluates the report of the European Union and says that two months after the European perspective was given by the EU, the report does not talk about Georgia's progress, but about failures in all directions.
According to Khoshtaria, the report showed that "in the conditions of 'Georgian Dream' and oligarchy, Georgia does not have a European perspective."
"Due to the issue of the candidate status and the war in Ukraine, this report has acquired even greater importance and practically, we can say, it determines our perspective of the EU candidacy. After we were told, on the one hand, that the people deserve a European perspective, and on the other hand, that it is impossible under the oligarchy, almost 2 months have passed and we are reading a report where, if not progress, we have failures in all fundamental directions.
I am not organizing the briefing to create any illusions and call on the authorities to do something, because this point has been exhausted, with this report it has been shown once again that under the conditions of the dream, under the conditions of the oligarchy, Georgia does not have a European perspective.
We know what we have to do, we have listed what we have to do, and it is our turn to act and free the country from the oligarchs," says Elene Khoshtaria.
PM Gharibashvili talks fuel prices at Gov't meeting
The Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, said at today's government meeting that despite the strengthening of the GEL, the price of fuel did not decrease proportionally, therefore, according to him, it is necessary to intensify the work with fuel importers.
Gharibashvili says that he recommended to the competition agency to start investigating and check the honesty of importers, and how well they follow the competition conditions.
"Of course, we will continue working. As the importers promised us, despite the fact that they reduced 10-10 tetri in July and August, they are going to reduce the price by 20-30 tetri in total by the end of August, but more transparency is needed.
We must provide our citizens with the most detailed information possible - what margins they work with, how much their profit is, etc. The government is doing everything to ensure that, for example, the GEL is stable. Recently, the national currency has strengthened a lot. Considering these and other factors, we urge importers to have more coordination with the government and more communication with our people. I will look into this matter personally, together with our economic team, and later I will provide additional information to our people," said the Prime Minister.
He also recommended the Competition Agency to study the integrity of fuel importers, because, as he says, "there is still a feeling" that fuel is expensive in the country despite the strengthening of the GEL. According to Gharibashvili, on his instructions, the ministers of economy and finance met with importers and this coordination will continue.
"Despite the fact that the GEL has strengthened, fuel prices have decreased on the market, prices have gone down, we still have the feeling that fuel prices have not been reflected accordingly and have not decreased proportionally. Therefore, we need to intensify our work with fuel importers. I addressed the Competition Agency with a recommendation, to start investigating and checking the good faith of importers, how well they follow competition rules," Irakli Gharibashvili said.
'If Georgia is being used by Russia to evade sanctions, the response will be isolation' Toomas Ilves says
According to Toomas Ilves, the former president of Estonia, if it turns out that Georgia is being used by Russia as a way to evade sanctions, the response will be isolation.
"I don't believe that. I do not believe that anyone is trying to drag Georgia into any war. I am one of those accused of wanting war and trying to drag Georgia into the war. I never said anything like that, never. I think this is just the narrative of the current government. I don't understand it at all. I don't know [what drives this narrative]. It's all very strange if you ask me. I have no desire for Georgia to get involved in a war with Russia, of course, nobody wants to get involved in a war with Russia, including Estonia, and why should anyone want that for Georgia?I have never, in any context, expressed or disseminated this opinion. On the other hand, when it comes to sanctions, many other countries do that, which is what we would expect from someone we consider our own. If it turns out that Georgia is really being used by Russia as a means of evading sanctions, then you can be sure that there will be a response, and this response, in my opinion, will be very severe. [This response can be] isolation," said Ilves.
Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria comments on EU report, says West sees no progress
The leader of Droa, Elene Khoshtaria, evaluates the report of the European Union and says that two months after the European perspective was given by the EU, the report does not talk about Georgia's progress, but about failures in all directions.
According to Khoshtaria, the report showed that "in the conditions of 'Georgian Dream' and oligarchy, Georgia does not have a European perspective."
"Due to the issue of the candidate status and the war in Ukraine, this report has acquired even greater importance and practically, we can say, it determines our perspective of the EU candidacy. After we were told, on the one hand, that the people deserve a European perspective, and on the other hand, that it is impossible under the oligarchy, almost 2 months have passed and we are reading a report where, if not progress, we have failures in all fundamental directions.
I am not organizing the briefing to create any illusions and call on the authorities to do something, because this point has been exhausted, with this report it has been shown once again that under the conditions of the dream, under the conditions of the oligarchy, Georgia does not have a European perspective.
We know what we have to do, we have listed what we have to do, and it is our turn to act and free the country from the oligarchs," says Elene Khoshtaria.