PM highlights Gov't steps for ensuring stable lari, double-digit economic growth

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday told Imedi TV the "patriotic team" of the Government had brought "a lot of benefits" to Georgia “despite challenges”, in comments about its performance in the economy and infrastructure and criticism of the domestic opposition.

Garibashvili highlighted his Government had managed to keep the national currency, the lari, "stable and solid", achieved a double-digit economic growth, created 220,000 jobs over the past two years, increased the gross domestic product by $10 billion and GDP per capita to $8,000.

If we took imprudent, emotional steps and did something populistic, there would have been nothing in the country today. The lari would not be almost below 2.5, for example, or inflation would not have dropped to eight percent. Unemployment is at an all-time low. Poverty is at an all-time low. So many jobs have been created. We have increased pensions and salaries in public and private sectors, everywhere. In other words, we have good progress in every direction", he said.

A “great number” of large-scale infrastructure projects were planned across the country, he also told the channel. 

We are launching wide-scale initiatives in infrastructure [including] construction of school buildings [...] This year, in September, we intend to launch the construction of Anaklia. We are launching the construction of a new airport. It is planned to invest $500 million", Garibashvili said.

The PM added that when there is "such great progress against the backdrop of such challenges, we get on many people’s nerves, and many had an illusion and hope that Georgia’s role would be to engage in the war".

We rejected this role long ago, when Bidzina Ivanishvili’s patriotic Government came to power, so this is only natural", he said.

In criticism of the opposition, Garibashvili said “our enemies are not happy with this [success]”, claiming the political forces were aiming at “sabotage and destruction”.

The PM claimed David Bakradze, the Speaker of the Parliament during the United National Movement Government, and other opposition politicians had “begged” the European Union against granting the country’s citizens visa-free travel to the bloc’s countries when Georgian Dream authorities were negotiating for the deal following the signing of the Association Agreement in 2014.

"The same has been happening now. They had all their lobbyist organisations mobilised, along with their affiliates, to [campaign against granting] us the status of an EU [membership] candidate country. That is the force we are sadly and unfortunately dealing with", Garibashvili said.