PM Garibashvili calls to invest in Georgia's regions

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is continuing to promote the economic potential of Georgia’s regions, as part of the Strong Region for Strong Georgia Governmental program.

In this direction Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili mobilised central and regional government representatives, businessmen and potential investors and introduced them to the various opportunities available in Georgia’s Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, and promised full Governmental support if they put extra effort into doing business in the region.

The meeting was held in Anaklia where Garibashvili presented results of the Government’s research, which revealed three sectors had a lot of development potential. These were agriculture, transport and logistic development, and tourism.

Garibashvili encouraged the business society to be more active in Georgia’s regions and if they did, the Government would offer financial and other support.

The Government itself planned to implement 19 infrastructural projects worth more than 124 million GEL in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, including rehabilitating 33 km of roads.

Georgian business society was introduced the various opportunities available in Georgia’s Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region today in Anaklia.

"The project Strong Economy for Strong Georgia aims to develop the regions and restore the suspended projects and to create more jobs for the local people,” said Garibashvili.

"In the agricultural sector there is a very high resource in producing nuts. [Georgia attracted] about 200 million GEL … as a result of selling nuts. Production of dairy products, tea, honey and essential oils is very beneficial in this region. Furniture producing, for example, is very promising in Zugdidi city,” he added.

"This year more than $59 million USD in Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) was attracted in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region of Georgia. This money was invested in transport, communication, agriculture, fishery development, building processing plants, hotels, etc.,” said the PM.

The biggest project expected to be implemented in the region is constructing the Anaklia deep-water port.

"Hundreds of millions of USD will be spent on developing this project. New jobs will be created, which will contribute to the development of not only this region, but the whole of Georgia.”

The Samtskhe-Javakheti and Lower Kartli are the first regions of Georgia where the Strong Region for Strong Georgia program is being launched.

In these two regions, a competition was held where people could introduce their creative and unique business ideas to develop and support entrepreneurship, encourage creation of new enterprises and increase export potential.