Georgia producing disinfectant amid coronavirus outbreak
"While Georgia is getting ready to welcome tourists and the economy is being opened gradually, it is very important all the safety requirements be observed by business and citizens as well,” said Turnava. Photo: Minisry of Economy.
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Georgia has started producing disinfectant in response to the increased demand for hygienic products amid the coronavirus outbreak.
It is good that Georgian business has responded to the increased demand for disinfectants amongst the local production,” said Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava who visited companies Eko Bohemia and Elixir in the Mtskheta municipality earlier today.
Turnava noted that is is important sanitising work to be be carried out from time to time. Photo: Ministry of Economy.
While Georgia is getting ready to welcome tourists and the economy is being opened gradually, it is very important all the safety requirements be observed by business and citizens as well,” said Turnava.
She noted that sanitising work should be carried out from time to time.
Today I saw the production process of two companies which produce goods which are in high demand on the market. These are examples of domestic production and is an example of how talented Georgian business is and how quickly it managed to redivert its production to high-demand goods and stood by the side of the population when it was needed,” said Turnava.
Eleixir employes 60 people, while 45 locals are emoloyed in Eko Bohemia. Photo: Ministry of Economy.
Eko Bohemia is a large manufacturer of household cleaning products in the South Caucasus region now produces hand antiseptics and other disinfectants for various surfaces. There are 45 locals employed in the company.
As for Elixir, its disinfectants have the mark of quality including food safety, environmental safety.
The company produces 25 tonnes of liquids per day. It exports its production. The company employs 60 people.
Around 10 Georgian companies have launched production of face masks in a move to prevent an outbreak of the new coronavirus, with the first batch set to be purchased by the government.
What support can business expect?
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 impact of the coronavirus is rippling through the Georgian economy, but it might take a few months to fully see the fallout in data that track economic performance in Georgia.
Georgian frontline health workers have received 7,500 protective face shields produced by Georgian company CaucasPack from the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme. UNDP, with assistance from the EU and the US, is also ensuring that protective equipment and other medical supplies are provided to Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia ‘to mitigate COVID-19 risks’.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said the ‘high sense of responsibility’ of Georgian citizens, ‘swift government action’ and international support from its partners ‘have been invaluable’ in the fight against the coronavirus. PM Gakharia also referred to the recent article of the Washington Post which named Georgia among countries, which have ‘gained newfound recognition as the world takes note of their early, and still tentative, successes’.