Gov’t seeks ways to help shopkeepers after powerful fire

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has met with the president of the National Bank and with economic advisers to discuss aid for helping shopkeepers affected by last night’s powerful fire in Children’s World shopping centre.

Hundreds of shopkeepers suffered major financial loss after the fire destroyed the shopping center and other nearby facilities.

It was decided at the meeting that the following measures will be taken to assist affected shopkeepers:

• The Revenue Service of the Finance Ministry will give "maximal tax benefits” to those shopkeepers whose goods have been burnt.
• The National Bank will mediate between the affected shopkeepers and financial institutions to postpone their bank-related responsibilities.

"It is important for all the relevant institutions to unite to ease the burden on the shoulders of these people”, Kvirikashvili said.

Thirty-one firefighting units were called to the scene to tackle the fire that broke out in Children’s World shopping centre in Tbilisi’s Didube district this morning. It took firefighters seven hours to extinguish the fire.

The building was insured while individual shops and goods inside were not.