Georgian government to unveil anti-crisis economic recovery plan

Georgian Agriculture Ministry will spend 16 million GEL ($4.86 mln/€4.42 mln) to make sugar, oil and pasta stocks in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.The ministry will buy 5,000 tonnes of sugar, 500 tonnes of pasta and 1.5 tonnes of sunflower oil.

The government of Georgia has presented an anti-crisis plan for Georgian businesses in order to ease the burden caused by the coronavirus crisis. The government responded to the demand of the hotels, restaurants, tourist agencies and tour operators in Georgia and decided to postpone payment of property and income tax by four months.

The Georgian government will cover utility fees, including sanitary service, gas and water bills for three months (March, April, May) for households which consume less than 200 kWh of electricity and 200 cubic meters of natural gas per month.

Georgia has reported three new cases of the coronavirus earlier today, bringing the total number of cases to 411. 98 of the 411 people have recovered, while four others have died. As of today 307 individuals inside the country remain infected with the coronavirus. 5,160 people are under quarantine and 579 others in hospitals.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated that the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres praised the steps taken by the Georgian government in the fight against the coronavirus during a phone conversation yesterday.

The state of emergency is likely to be extended in Georgia until May 22, while the restrictions on the private car use, which entered into force on April 17, will be maintained through April 26. The government has already appealed to the president regarding the extension of the state of emergency which was declared on March 21. 'The restrictions on the private vehicle use around the country will be gradually lifted starting April 27,” the PM’s Spokesman Irakli Chikovani said earlier today. 

The Deputy Head of the National Centre for the Disease Control (NCDC), Paata Imnadze says that it will take about a year to return to the normal way of life after the restrictions amid the pandemic are lifted in the country.

The Georgian parliament has supported the extension of the state of emergency until May 22 to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus in Georgia.97 MPs voted for the decision, while ten others voted against the extension in the 150-member parliament. Independent MPs and the members of the United National Movement did not vote for the bill, citing the absence of a ‘genuine, anti-crisis plan.’ The government promised to present a draft of the plan on April 24. 

Georgia has reported four new cases of the coronavirus today, bringing the total number of cases to 420. 107 of the 420 people have recovered, while five others have died.As of today 306 individuals remain infected with COVID-19 inside the country. 5,223 people are under quarantine and 584 others in hospitals. The village of Gvankiti in Terjola municipality of western Georgia has been put in lockdown earlier today as 10 people have tested positive for the virus so far. 

The Investors Council will support the government of Georgia in developing a new investment strategy for the country and will engage in designing steps to attract new foreign investments to the country, announces the government of Georgia.

Georgia will spend 3.5 billion (about $1.10b/€1.02b) on its coronavirus anti-crisis plan, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced earlier today. "For now, the country will spend GEL 3.5 billion on managing the crisis, of which 1.035 billion GEL will be directed at social support of citizens, 2.11 billion GEL will be directed at the economy and entrepreneurs, while 350 million GEL will be spent on the health care of each citizen", Gakharia said.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced earlier today how the government intends to help businesses and agriculture during the COVID-19 crisis. 

The Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia has presented a fourth anti-crisis plan today worth 434 million GEL aimed at supporting the construction and development sector of Georgia. He said that the construction and development sector was one of the fastest growing sectors which employed 120,000 people in 2019. 

International economists delivered a presentation on the global pandemic and its aftermath on the economy to the  Georgian government today, saying the steps taken by the Georgian government to improve the business environment and increase investment attractiveness are 'right and important', announces the government of Georgia.

The government will cover the utility fees of certain citizens starting November for four months based on their level of consumption of power and gas.

The State Audit Office will study the effectiveness and compliance with the law of the anti-crisis plan of the government implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic.