Georgian PM refuses offer of gifting mine to state after fatal accident

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has responded to the offer of the Georgian Industrial Group (GIG) regarding Tkibuli mines in western Georgia, as the holding is ready to gift the company operating the mines to the state.

Running the mines is not the government’s job”, Bakhtadze stated in response to the offer which came after the deadly blast in the Tkibuli Mindeli Mine on July 16, leaving four miners dead and six others injured.

He stated that the industry should have a long-lasting development strategy, and that the government’s role in the process should be supporting the business in achieving its goals to grow and employ additional staff.

I no longer want the business is not a response.’ There is the factor of responsibility here. A huge tragedy took place, not for the first time, and the statement that you are ‘ready to leave the business’ is not a response. It is a serious case. 

We are ready to support any company and investors. However, we will have a serious talk with the company representatives when the outcomes of the investigation are made available,” Bakhtadze said.

The PM stated that the investigation which is being carried out in the mine will clarify whether the mine owners fulfilled the safety recommendations given to them by the state agencies or not.

The Georgian Industrial Group, which owns the Sakhnakhriri Company which operates the mines, claims that they had invested millions of lari to provide high security standards in the mines. 

However, as GIG says, no engineering solution has been found which would have significantly reduced such risks.