Caucasus Business Week #229 by Caucasian Business Week

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March 12, 2018 #229

March 12, 2018, Issue 229 - www.cbw.ge

Research Increased Budgetary Expenses for Government’s “Public Relations” Pg. 9

Financial How Financial Technologies Advance in Georgian Financial Space Pg. 6

Khatuna Mikatsadze: Public Relations developed progressively in last 10 years Pg. 8 Mobile Internet Prices Triple

Inspiring Women in Georgian Business

Pg. 4

Whether Oil Product Importer Companies Cheat Population

Pg. 6

Newsroom

2 Government

Investment Volume to Hit 100 million GEL

Government of Georgia plans to launch Imereti AgroZone Development project to promote the private sector in production of greens and other agriculture products in the volume and quality that will suffice for constant supply of products to EU market.

Government Plans to Mobilize 60 million GEL from Privatization

According to the agency information, the project of Fifty Properties for Your Hotel will be priority direction again. This project is to promote hospitality sector development in the country.

economy

Turnover Increased by 21.5% to the Business Sector

According to Sakstat, turnover volume in the sector is increased by 21.5% in Q4, 2017 comparing to the same period of the previous year and amounted to 21. 1 billion GEL.

Tourist Number Increased by 27% in February

According to the data of January-February, the number of foreign travelers i.e. tourists who stayed more than 24 hours in Georgia has made up 367,321, which is more by 73,320 comparing to January-February (growth +24.9%).

banking

Liberty Bank Supports Georgian Paralympic Athletes

Georgian Paralympic athletes will also play in the winter Paralympics. Winter Paralympic Games will be held on March 9-18 in Piochan, Korea, where 670 sportsmen from 41 countries participates.

Loans in GEL are Increased in Price

According to the statistics of the NBG, average rate in GEL on short-term banking loans is 21.4%, foreign currency – 6.1%. Annual interest rate on long –term loans amounts to 17.7%. Annual rate is reduced in the USD to 11% (H1/2017 – 11.5%).

business

2 Month Data of Wine And Alcohol Beverage Export 2018

According to the LEPL National Wine Agency, in January – February 2018, 10,8 mil. bottles (0,75l) of wine have been exported to 38 countries worldwide, that is 23% higher than the similar data of the last year.

EU to Support Georgian Businesses in New Management Reporting

Georgian businesses will prepare and publish management reports for the first time, as part of a reform of accounting and audit practices which aims to achieve greater transparency on the Georgian market.

company

Georgian Cognac is On Sale in Australia

Company ”Sarajishvili” ended 2017 year with growth of 37% of exports, the company has sold 24 million GEL worth products, half of which was exported.

March 12, 2018 #229

EU Representatives Visit Agricultural and Rural Development Projects in Georgia

he representatives of the Directorate General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) of the European Commission, Mr Mathieu Bousquet and Ms Michaela Hauf paid visits to EU-supported agriculture and rural development projects in Georgia during 1-2 March 2018. The guests visited EU-funded agricultural cooperative, fishery “Tsisartkela”, in the village Akhaldaba, Gori municipality. The 10-member cooperative produces larvae in fish nursery and keeps several trout rearing tanks. With the support of EU, the cooperative has increased the producing of larvae three times. The cooperative now aims to reach its operational capacity to completely meet supply demands and start sales of the surplus larvae, around 1,000.000 units, to other trout fishery farms in the region. The mission also paid visit to EU’s rural development project in Borjomi and met with the members of Local Action Group (LAG). The Borjomi LAG is one of eight LAGs established with EU support in different municipalities in Georgia with the aim to encourage diversified local economic growth grounded on the best European practices. The LAG represents a unique platform of partnership between local private, civil society and public representatives, who contribute to the municipality’s social and economic development

and provide participation of local population. Last year, Borjomi LAG selected 28 rural development initiatives via open grant competition. The initiatives from agriculture, tourism, sport, culture and environment sectors were funded by EU and now are successfully implemented, promoting economic development of the region. The guests had an opportunity to see several EU-supported rural development initiatives in Borjomi: Virtual Tours of Borjomi using innovative technologies to promote remote and less known touristic places in the city, Borjomi Cultural Monuments and Landscape Photos for Tourists popularizing Borjomi’s cultural monuments and touristic attractions, Small Souvenir Shop producing various types of small wooden toys and local souvenirs, Musical Studio and Band encouraging local youth to discover their talent and practice their musical skills, as well as Sport Playground built to encourage outdoor activities and engage youth in sports. The visit to EU funded agricultural and rural development projects in Gori and Borjomi municipalities offered the members of the Brussels’ mission first-hand information about the successes and challenges of Georgia’s rural community, as well as tangible results of EU’s support in this sector. Agriculture and rural development is a backbone of Georgia’s economy. Half of the country’s population lives in rural areas

and is employed in agriculture. Therefore, revitalization of the sector and the development of agriculture are among the country’s top priorities. EU has long been assisting Georgia in its efforts to improve lives in rural areas and to increase the welfare of its population, which in turn has helped stimulate the country’s sustainable economic growth. Under EU-funded ENPARD programme, 122 rural development initiatives were supported in the country last year, 28 of them in Borjomi. These initiatives are boosting production and services in the areas of agriculture, tourism, social and rural infrastructure and environment. They have already provided better employment to over 700 rural households and benefited more than 8000 people. The European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) is recognised as one of the most successful agriculture and rural development initiatives funded by the European Union in Georgia. Implemented since 2013 with a total budget of EUR 179.5 million, the main goal of ENPARD is to reduce rural poverty in the country. The first phase of ENPARD in Georgia focused on developing the potential of agriculture. The second and the third phases focus on creating diversified economic opportunities for rural population that go beyond agricultural activities. More information on ENPARD is available at: www.enpard.ge

7-8% of Georgia’s GDP to be Transferred to Regional and Municipal Budgets by 2025

he Parliament and Government of Georgia presented a new national vision of decentralization and local self-governance, which increases decision-making powers and financial resources of the regional and local authorities, empowering them to better address the needs of citizens. The document was made public on 5 March 2018, by Irakli Kobakhidze – Georgian Parliament Speaker, and Giorgi Kvirikashvili – Prime Minister of Georgia. Niels Scott, Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgia; Arad Benkö, Ambassador of Austria to Georgia; Lukas Beglinger, Ambassador of Switzerland to Georgia; and Kakha Kaladze, Mayor of Tbilisi and President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia, joined the Parliament Speaker and Prime Minister in their address to representatives of the Georgian Government, Parliament, civil so-

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ciety, diplomatic community and international organizations. In his keynote speech, Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, focused on the legislative changes that will follow the adoption of the new vision. “Fiscal decentralization and delegation of competencies will increase the local budgets, enabling local selfgovernments to effectively exercise their competences, raise professional standard of civil servants and offer wider and better services to citizens,” Irakli Kobakhidze said. Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stressed that the new vision marks strategic shift to effective local selfgovernance and citizen participation in local decision-making. “A wide range of competencies and resources will be transferred from the national to local authorities by 2025. This includes 7-8% of GDP which will be allocated to the municipal budgets. This substantial reform will equip local self-governments with powers,

skills and resources necessary for resolving local economic and social issues,” Kvirikashvili said. The new national vision of decentralization and local selfgovernance is part of the ongoing regional and local development reform, supported by Georgia’s international partners, including UNDP and the governments of Switzerland and Austria. “Local self-governance must be capable of bringing decisions and services close to citizens, adapting them to people’s needs, and making citizens the active owners of the governance process. With this new national concept, Georgia is making a huge step forward to achieving this standard,” Niels Scott, Head of UNDP in Georgia, said. The presentation of the national vision for decentralization and local self-governance will be followed by the development of the national strategy and action plan to be adopted by the Parliament of Georgia in 2018.

Editor: Nutsa Galumashvili. Mobile phone: 595 380382 Reporters: Nina Gomarteli; Mariam Kopaliani; Merab Janiashvili Technical Assistant: Giorgi Kheladze;

Source: www.commersant.ge, www.bpi.ge, www.gbc.ge, www.agenda.ge, www.civil.ge

March 12, 2018 #229

publicity

econo-mix

March 12, 2018 #229

Mobile Internet Prices Triple Internet service tariffs will considerably worsen for corporate clients in 2018

Paata Bairakhtari Vice president of Association of Young Financiers and Businessmen (AYFB)

Merab Janiashvili Economic Analyst

If government of Georgia does not pay due attention to resolving the mentioned challenges, only tax cuts cannot improve the current situation and we will have to live in the economy of major businesses for many other years. As a result, inequality will increase and economic benefits will be distributed unequally.

‘‘

Number of vehicles is increasing in Georgia. Today, more than one million vehicles move in Tbilisi. Consequently, fuel consumption also grows. Only in January, oil product importer companies imported 71 000 tons of fuel, including 39 000 tons of petrol. According to the current indicators, there are more than 1000 refueling stations in Georgia. However, we are interested in what genuinely happens on Georgian fuel market, whether oil product importer companies honestly serve people or cheat our population. Georgian racing car drivers decided to cast light on the mentioned issue. Having used a special container, they have proved that almost all oil product importer companies cheat consumers. Naturally, the companies disagree with the results. Their representatives do not accept the research results and cast doubt on its accuracy. This experiment does not reflect the reality, they assert and note that during the experiment petrol could have leaked, evaporated or inaccurate containers could have been used. However, the fact is that the research conducted in Tbilisi has showed almost all refueling stations steal fuel from clients, 50200 milligrams on 5 liters on average. Why do the oil product importer companies steal fuel from clients and what is the solution? Paata Bairakhtari, vice president of Association of Young Financiers and Businessmen (AYFB), says that the reason consists on oligopolistic environment and a lack of competition in practice, which was established for many years. “Today, companies dictate rules of game to both the society and the Authorities. As to the recently arisen topics, according to which companies cheat clients, this is not surprising if we recall the market developments several years ago. For example, it turned out that one of the companies, which boasted various brand fuels, did not have similar fuels at all. We also remember promo commercials, where the companies assured clients in refueling accuracy. Shortly after those events, we learned that almost all companies cheat their clients in volume, not to mention unhealthy prices”, Bairakhtari said. The AYFB vice president disagrees with the experiment conducted by Georgian racing care drivers. “In fairness, this experiment was conducted in an improvised manner and it will not be correct to assert something based on it. However, there are many misappropriations on the market. This is evident. It is the responsibility of Revenue Service of Ministry of Finance to control accuracy of refueling. If these companies genuinely cheat in refueling, naturally, the regulatory bears responsibility”, he said. It is necessary that the corresponding instances explore the mentioned facts and introduce an official conclusion whether these companies cheat clients. Otherwise, this issue will remain misty and unclear. As a result, oil product importer companies will triumph over the Authorities again, the AYFB vice president said. Oil prices are declining worldwide, but this tendency is not reflected on Georgian market. And there is only reason – companies do not have reserves. They have bought fuel in various times and for various prices.

‘‘

Whether Oil Product Importer Companies Cheat Population

Three telecommunication companies Magticom, Geocell and Beeline have won the 2018-2019 state telecommunication consolidated tender. As a result, public offices will be able to take individual decisions and choose a specific operator for signing a service agreements. The decision was taken by the tender commission on March 1. In previous years, the consolidated tenders were won by Magticom and Geocell. The winner companies serve about 260 000 subscribers. It is interesting that the first tender was announced on January 31 and only Beeline took part in it. On February 23 the tender commission held a meeting and took a decision on terminating the tender under the pretext only one applicant Beeline was taking part in the tender. Geocell and Magticom named the tender conditions and letter from Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) as a reason of their non-participation. The letter was exposing facts of violation of competition principles. New state tender for telecommunication services will be announced soon, but with revised conditions. For example, the company will provide services for state offices through January 31, 2019, while in previous tender the deadline was June 30, 2018. The part of tariffs has also changed. For example, in old tender documentation the price of 15 gigabyte was 4.99 GEL, but, according to the new conditions, subscribers will buy only 5-gigabyte package for the same prices. Moreover, subscribers will buy 3-gigabyte package for 3.99 GEL, instead of 5 gigabyte package. At the same time, the previous tender conditions used to determine Internet speed (3mb/sc- 21mb/sc) and this component has been excluded from the new conditions. Moreover, in previous years, after the package deadline expiration, the remaining balance was activated after buying a new package, while, according to the new conditions, Internet package is usable for only 30 days. As a result, it is impossible to renew the remaining megabytes and use them. Moreover, all these companies offered the same tender conditions. As a result, if mobile service tariff triples and it is replenished with the previous months’ amount, service prices will grow further, in practice. The state commission named all three companies as winners in the consolidated tender. The society cannot understand why the Government has accepted the worsened conditions. Shortly after this GNCC released a special statement, where GNCC chairman

noted that Magticom and Geocell had violated the law and served organizations and offices with dumping prices. According to GNCC information, as part of the consolidated tender services, in 2017 Magticom losses made up 32 204 577 GEL, while Geocell losses constituted 7 781 581 GEL. The companies were balancing the mentioned losses from other sources. The regulator commission asserts that the companies have violated the law on electronic communication and the commission decision.. However, by request of the companies, discussion of the issue was postponed for March 15. If the violations are confirmed, Magticom and Geocell will be warned. «Preliminary examination proves and confirms that these two operators applied dumping prices as part of consolidated tender and this is punished by Georgian legislation. The law prohibits some consumer groups be served with dumping tariffs», GNCC chairman Kakha Bekauri said. After tender games of several days, the GNCC decision emerged as a justification of why state corporate clients have to pay higher price for mobile services as compared to the previous 4 years. Beeline was ready to supply services with the previous years’ tariffs to 260 000 subscribers and it is interesting why the state commission has rejected this offer. A lack of competition was named as a reason for failed tender and this signifies in more competitive environment, when three companies were taking part, radically different results emerged – much higher tariffs and all three companies put forward the same conditions, while competition has absolutely different mission. As a result of competition, tariffs decline, while the GNCC asserts that companies subsidize corporate services from other sources and this signifies subscribers pay very expensive price for other services of communication companies. As a result, this factor enables companies to subsidize various directions. As a result, Internet service tariffs have also risen extremely. This signifies cell communication companies receive double profits. On the one hand, they have maintained expensive services and, on the other hand, they receive more benefits in the state tender. The commission decision has harmed clients, while the mentioned companies will receive only warning notifications for the mentioned violation. And subscribes will have to pay 40 million GEL (in 2017 Magticom losses constituted 32 204 577 GEL + Geocell – 7 781 581 GEL), which mobile operators subsidized from other sources in 2017.

“We have not consulted this issue with Parliament of Georgia yet. We have held consultations with business sector. Naturally, we should wait for key principles of the organic law. We give priority to two key issues: 1. qualified investors should be authorized to make investments in agrarian sector without restrictions. Another issue is an access to financial resources. Land as an asset should be usable at financial institutions for attracting certain resources. If these two principles work, I back reasonable regulations”.

Irakli Lekvinadze Business Ombudsman

March 12, 2018 #229

publicity

March 12, 2018 #229

Inspiring Women in Georgian Business In the world where campaigns like Times UP and #metoo operate and make a huge impact on society, Geostat published latest findings on National Study on Violence against Women in Georgia, the results were not promising as one-quarter of women were fine with violence by men. Although, International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who play an extraordinary role in our country’s various industries. Here are some of inspiring and independent Georgian women:

Lika Shavishvili Owner/Founder at Studio 7 Lika Shavishvili opened studio 7 with her sister in 2011, beauty and health center for women. This is the place that offers everything a woman needs to treat herself and get fit. The environment is bright, healthy and comfortable. The center is aimed at business women – it works till late and opens at bright and early if necessary. Highly-qualified endocrinologists and professionals masseurs serve its customers.

Nona Anka Mamulashvili at Georgian Tsitsishvili SwissPresident Business Association Co-Founder at INDEXflat Index Flat Concept Store located in Moscow/Russia specializes in exploring and supporting new designers. The store has been referred as one of the most interesting space to find your style, by Vogue, Coveteur, etc.

Founded in 2005, Georgian Swiss Business Association (GSBA) is the business association serving Swiss companies and entrepreneurs doing businesses in Georgia and Georgian companies interested in dealing with Switzerland. GSBA supports and promotes the commercial relationships between the two countries and aims to generate more business activity of members through providing networking occasions and facilitating business contacts.

Mariam Kuchuloria Deputy General Director at European Business Association European Business Association’s vision is doing business in Georgia to be the same as doing business in Europe. The concept for the European Business Association in Georgia was devised by the founders in 2012 and presented to the European Delegation and other European embassies. The Association in Georgia is differentiated from other associations in it’s European membership structure, online format and special focus on SME and regional development. It’s mission is to advocate/lobby for European Businesses in Georgia; and to facilitate the development of trade and investment between Georgia and Europe.

Eka Kipiani Creative director at JWT Metro

Anna Godabrelidze

Nino Enukidze Nutsa Koghuashvili Founder/CEO of Investment company DotGreen

DotGreen believes that Georgia is capable and should become first entirely Green Country on the World Map. Georgia with its small but incredibly diverse territory can become number one destination for world people as it will offer ecologically the most healthy environment for residents and tourists. At DotGreen Investments team invests only in those projects that foster Georgia’s Green Environment.

Dean/Associated Professor at Business and Technology University “Silicon Valley Tbilisi” is business, technological and innovations center, missioning to provide students with the unique educational experience, develop their leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Through creating entrepreneurial ecosystem and integrating with business high technologies, raise students’ motivation and provide them with the opportunity to become competitive workforce not only on the local but also on the international market.

Degustation Commission chairman at National Wine Agency

Tamara Bagdavadze CEO at Hotel Costé Hotel Coste embraces all advantages of a modern 4 star city hotel: central location, contemporary interior design, excellent service and 60 comfortable rooms. Located near the Philharmonia. The mission of the hotel is to create a top hotel brand by melting the heritage of the Varazi hotel and the tradition of Georgian hospitality with newest hospitality services, trends and technologies. Highly professional staff is referred as ‘’yes-we-can’’, who are highly professional to create a personal and luxurious atmosphere for visitors.

LEPL National Wine Agency is responsible for control and certification of wine production quality, promotion and progress of Georgian wine awareness, promotion of the growth of export potential. Agency also researches vine and wine culture and promotes organized vintage conduction. The National Wine Agency carries out its activities through the permanent contact with the Ministry of Agriculture and cooperation with the state and private companies operating in the wine industry.

Metro Studio is the agency with the greatest recognition and awareness in Georgia. It is a full-service agency. 90% of the Studio Metro team members have 8+ years of experience. They refer each other as creative talents, rather than staff members. Just like J. Walter Thompson, Metro Studio is an agency of firsts: It created the first ever country branding campaign to be aired in 25 countries (Summer in Georgia), the first interactive campaign ever produced in Georgia (Love.bog.ge for Bank of Georgia), the first music video for Georgian artists to be aired on MTV Europe (Stepane&3G “Somebody to Love”), and the largest CG presentation project ever done in this country (Rakeen – Uptown Tbilisi).

Ekaterine Zhvania CEO at GEPRA GEPRA is a Consulting Agency that offers a wide range of services, including PR Consultancy, Integrated Marketing Communication Activities, Strategic Development, Business Development and Consulting, Media Relations, Social Media, Branding, Internal PR, Trainings, Crisis Management, Event Management and more. The company cooperates with a wide range of partners made up of organizations and experts in the fields of advertising, production, and online and printed media.

March 12, 2018 #229

Financial

How Financial Technologies Advance in Georgian Financial Space Financial Technologies (FinTech) comprises an employment of new and alternative business models and technologies in the field of financial services. Employment of financial technologies is of crucial importance for obtaining competitive advantage in the finance sector. New technologies have influenced almost all financial activities and transformed money management channels. Financial technologies are developed on global level and naturally, they are introduced in Georgia too. It is worth noting that the banking sector expends an employment of technologies for development of financial technologies and competes with growing FinTech companies.

Plastic Cards lastic card are widely-applied retail instrument in Georgia, which are divided in debit and credit cards. According to January 2018 indicators, number of credit cards in turnover made up 853 152, up 12% year on year. As to quantity of debit cards, they amounted to 7 756 716 in January 2018, down 8% year on year from 8 456 651 cards in January 2017. It should be also noted that today major plastic card manufacturers are: VISA (VISA Electron, VISA Classic, VISA Gold, VISA Platinum, VISA Infinite), Master Card (MasterCard Maestro, MasterCard Standard, MasterCard Gold, MasterCard Platinum), American Express (AMEX Personal, AMEX Gold, Amex Platinum, AMEX Centurion). VISA ranks first in terms of quantity of plastic cards. Its ratio in total number of credit cards in turnover is 50% and in debit cards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 24%. ATMs and POS Terminals To improve a use of plastic cards, it is necessary that the country have both ATMs and POS terminals. According to the January 2018 indicators submitted by National Bank of Georgia (NBG), there are 2274 ATMs in Georgia, up 27 ATMs year on year. As to number of POS terminals, they may be divided in POS terminals at trade and service facilities and POS terminals in branches and service centers of commercial banks. According to the same indicators of National Bank of Georgia (NBG), there are 32 130 POS terminals at trade and service facilities, up 2 996 units compared to January 2017, while number of POS terminals at branches and service centers of commercial banks made up 1432 ones, down 174 units year on year. Operations with Payment Cards Quantity of transactions with charge cards in Georgia grows year to year. This fact signifies the country easily embraces financial technologies. According to the NBG indicators for January 2018, total number of operations with charge cards in Georgia made up 16 525 473 ones, up 20% as compared to January 2017. Total value of transactions in January 2018 with charge cards made up 1 548 501 000 GEL, up 8.5% year on year.

Operations by Cards of Resident and Nonresident Commercial Banks It is also interesting that the number of operations carried out by payment cards issued by resident commercial banks also grows. Number of operations with their payment cards in January 2017 made up 13 178 182 and this figure rose by 12% to 15 946 174 in a year. As a result, volume of money in turnover also grows. According to January 2017 indicators, 1.275 billion GEL were transferred by resident banks. In January 2018 the figure rose by 11% to 1.416 billion GEL. As to nonresident commercial banks, they performed 579 299 operations in January 2018, up 14 495 ones as compared to January 2017 (564 734 operations). Despite nonresident commercial banks have increased number of operations, transfers volume is declining. Namely, in January 2017 they transferred 152 896 000 GEL, while the figure constituted 132 163 000 GEL in January 2018, down 20 733 000 GEL year on year. Internet Transactions Financial operations by Internet grows month to month. According to January 2018 indicators submitted by NBG, 2 097 537 Internet transactions were carried out, up 40% year on year. At the same time, the amount of transactions is declining. In the reporting period value of trans-

actions made up 75 215 000 GEL, down 38.5%. This factor signifies that averaged indicator of distinct transactions is declining. QuickCash Platform In September 2017 QuickCash company and BIG microfinance organization signed a cooperation agreement for increasing online creditworthiness of small and medium companies through innovative platform. This agreement calls for developing small and medium businesses and their business solvency. Under the innovative platform of QuickCash, BIG offers to assess creditworthiness of their businesses in 10 minutes without collection of documents and submitting guarantees. QuickCash platform is based on an algorithm of Artificial Intellect, which uses more than 50 parameters and takes only 10 minutes for appraising business. It should be noted that the process proceeds in online regime. As part of new cooperation format, small and medium businesses are able to to take loans for replenishing working capital by submitting IP card, identification code of the company and passing assessment through our platform on BIG website. Thanks to QuickCash and BIG, legal entities have an unique opportunity to develop their business quickly and simply without leaving offices. bfm.ge

PR Person

March 12, 2018 #229

“Public Relations developed progressively in last 10 years’’ - Why did you decide to enter this field, and what kind of opportunities does this profession give you? It happened by chance moving from journalism to PR. I’ve thought a lot that if there was no this specific occasion, I would never consider changing profession. It was a happy, lucky chance that extremely changed my lifestyle. - What is it necessary to hold a successful communication with public? Ivy Lee and John Hill used to state that PR business needs to be ‘’an ethical conscience’’. As for reputation,The Envoy between the organization and the public must always enjoy a flawless reputation. Communication skill and ‘’ethical conscience’’ guarantees successful PR business. - Three tips you would give to whom wants to work in this field. I see good PR specialist who constantly develops himself professionally, has communication skill, efficiently reacts in crisis situation. It’s important to plan in advance and realize the goal. Sequence is substantial of PR concept implementation.

Interview with Khatuna Mikatsadze, Head of Public Relations Department of JSC ‘’Georgian Beer Company’’.

- What would you wish to know before you started your career in PR? One should be into social science psychology, sociology, philosophy, media relations and marketing basics. - What is the best way of finding relevant contacts and sources? There is only one way to get contacts and sources - tireless work. - How do you prioritize to start your work day? Work day (even day off) starts with looking through information. Information monitoring and its analysis gives us an opportunity to define possible risks and PR steps. It’s dependent on information how to implement even already planned strategy. - What are the skills Public Relations Specialist need? Having information, contacts and good reputation. - What trait do you value the most in your co-workers? Sincerity, team player, will to grow as a professional. I even reprimand myself if I ever stop the process of developing as

a professional. I call it an inexcusable sin of PR Specialist. - What is the best PR practice technology can’t change? Touch, emotion, feeling, relationships these are the factors without which formation of public opinion won’t be perfect. Technics and technology can never replace emotions. - What are some of the growing trends in the public relations industry? Public relations, as one of the most important management function, progressively developed within 10-15 years. John Rockefeller used to say: ‘’Knowing how to communicate is a skill that can be sold like a coffee or tea, I would pay more for that that any other product of the world’’. Today we pay for whole package of PR, instead of separate product. We are developing, it means we have information; We have information, meaning we are developing. Today we have radically different information channels to share information, as well as social media, which is even more interesting and efficient platform.

research

Increased Budgetary Expenses for Government’s “Public Relations”

March 12, 2018 #229

ollowing the “Georgian Dream’s” coming into power after the 2012 Parliamentary elections, the number of employees at Public Relations (PR) departments of government institutions and their remuneration has significantly increased. During the reporting period, from 2012 till October 2017, the remuneration for employees of public relations departments reached 55,400,000 GEL, out of which 49,075,000 GEL was spent during “Georgian Dream’s” rule in 2013-2017. The report relies on information obtained by 121 public institutions. The representatives of the government frequently state that the public is not sufficiently aware of their activities and achievements. Lack of “PR” is cited as one of the reasons for this. Transparency International Georgia conducted the research to find out how much funds were spent during 2012-2017 by the government on public relations departments that exist in administrative bodies. Notably, the main purpose and function of these departments is to raise the public awareness on government activities, as well as handling relations with the media. Requested Information TI Georgia requested information from 133 public institutions, in order to identify the number of employees working at PR departments between 20122017, as well as the data on the budgetary expenses for their remuneration. Unfortunately, 12 public institutions, including the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia, Revenue

Service and Public Service Hall, did not provide us the requested information. This has an effect on the final findings of the report, as the expenses on Public relations in these institutions is probably high. Notable is the Chancellery of the Government, which actively promotes the activitiesof the government both at local and international level. The Administration also runs the foreign-language information websiteagenda.ge. Our suspicion is confirmed by the information retrieved by TI Georgia in September, 2016, according to which 76 persons were employed (permanent/temporary) in the PR department and the number of employees in the PR department exceeded the number of employees in the legal department (34 employees) by 55%. Notably, the PR department is the second largest structural unit in the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia. The report does not include neither the information on the lobbying services procured abroad by the state institutions and the ruling party. Number of employees at the PR departments and their remuneration Our research has found that the number of employees (permanent/temporary) in PR departments has increased nationwide after the coming of the Georgian Dream to power. Therefore, the funds allocated for their remuneration have also significantly increased. Despite the fact that the 2017 data was counted up until the month of October, the total spending on employee remuneration still significantly exceeds the spending in 2012.

In 2013-2017, the following ministries are leading in terms of the number of employees in PR departments and their remuneration: Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Healthcare and Social Affairs. According to October 2017 data, the Ministry of Internal affairs has spent the most on remuneration of employees in PR departments. More specifically, the spending of the MIA amounted to 5,300,000 GEL over five years, while the Defense and Healthcare Ministries have respectively spent over 3,800,000 GEL and up to 3,600,000 GEL. Notably, an increase was identified in all components of the research during 2016, which can be explained by the fact that there was the parliamentary elections in October 2016 which were won by the Georgian Dream. In 2016, the total number of employees in PR departments was the largest (690 employees), while 12,000,000 GEL was spent on their remuneration. The findings of the report show that the number of employees at Public Relations departments in public institutions and their remuneration has significantly increased since the coming into power of Georgian Dream in 2012. The current government spends tens of millions of Laris on remuneration of employees of PR departments, the main function of which is to raise public awareness about the activities of the government and its achievements. Therefore, if the government is unable to making its activities known to the public, one of the reasons can be the incompetence, which can indicate of misuse of the budgetary funds.

business

10 Japan Emerges as the Second Biggest Export Market for Georgian Wines

The School Accountant Leading her Co-workers to Gardening Glory

When Dali Veshaguridze, a school accountant, decided to found a gardening cooperative, her family was sceptical. “They would say, ‘Who will give you a grant, a big sum of €49,000?’” The answer was the EU’s ENPARD programme. Dali learned about the programme in 2015 and when she and four other teachers from her school founded the cooperative named Nergebi in Zemo Alvani, the Kakheti Region, they obtained a grant from ENPARD. “After the school classes were over, we would return home and care for our families. Then, by nine o’clock in the evening, we would gather together and keep developing the project until the next morning,” Dali shares. “By the end of 2015, we had already been able to construct a greenhouse. In the first year we learned a lot, participated in various training sessions held in Georgia and became acquainted with people like us in Europe. We were trained in accounting, agronomy, advocacy, marketing and writing business projects.”

“This year Chateau Mukhrani prioritizes to penetrate Japanese market. Therefore, the company plans to boost marketing activities in Japan”, Chateau Mukhrani global brand manager Giorgi Apkhazava told BM.Ge. “The company director general Patrick Honeff will visit Japan to introduce our wines to HoReCa and hotel networks. This is widespread practice. Referring of an executive director works as a catalyst for sales, decisions are taken from the strateguc point of view to determine target markets: Japan is the most informed market in wine field among Asian countries. The country has financial resources and the population is solvent, our wines are in premium segment and these factors are of crucial importance for us.

A Truly Innovative and Competitive Georgia Means Involving More Girls and Women This time last year, I wrote about the importance of promoting gender equality and removing barriers for women in the South Caucasus. My overall message was that education and the full economic participation of women are critical for accelerating progress toward inclusive growth and poverty reduction. I made the point that countries could see real increases in their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if gender equality was achieved in the labor market. In Georgia, for example, this could mean economic gains equivalent to 12% of GDP – almost five times the country’s spending on education in 2012.

The Green Shoots of Growth in Georgia: Hydroponic Farming with EU Support Growing Georgian vegetables by employing the latest European technologies – this is the motto of Imereti Greenery, a Dutch-Georgian enterprise located in western Georgia, which has benefited from EU support for its development under the EU4Business initiative, seeing production and profits soar as a result, owner of the enterprise is Natia Khelaia. Since its establishment, the enterprise has been gradually expanding its greenhouse coverage and now occupies 2 hectares of territory in the city of Samtredia. Lettuce and cucumber here is grown by following hydroponic farming – a modern method of agriculture where crops are cultivated without soil by using mineral nutrients in a water solvent. Smart use of geothermal waters makes farming at Imereti Greenery way more efficient and responsible.

March 12, 2018 #229

Maia and Lia: the Refugees Cultivating a New Future in Agriculture The EU closely cooperates with Georgia to assist progress towards reforms that will help to strengthen the country and improve the living conditions for its citizens. Gender equality is at the heart of this cooperation. Supporting women’s initiatives in different areas, promoting a fair society where men and women have equal rights, and providing opportunities for quality education are key areas of focus for the EU’s support. In this article, Georgian women share how they benefited from opportunities offered to them thanks to EU-Georgia cooperation. Their stories show how this cooperation is helping to change lives for women across Georgia on a practical level and make the country stronger. Maia and Lia: the refugees

cultivating a new future in agriculture Lia Kekelishvili and her family moved from South Ossetia following the conflict in 2008 and settled in Tsinamdzgvriantkari village in the Mtskheta Municipality. She is one of the founders of the agricultural cooperative “Gifts of a Forest”. “Together with other women who also moved from the conflict zone, we decided to start harvesting and processing traditional and organic ‘Askili’ rose hip,” she says. “It is a healthy and vitamin-rich plant. Its extract is used to make tea or juice in Georgia.” The women persisted and received an EU grant of €25,000. The money allowed them to buy greenhouses and drying shelves, and develop their small business further.

Baia and Gvantsa: the Winemakers Turning a Family Tradition Into a Successful Business The EU closely cooperates our family business, but we with Georgia to assist progress towards reforms that will help to strengthen the country and improve the living conditions for its citizens. Gender equality is at the heart of this cooperation. Supporting women’s initiatives in different areas, promoting a fair society where men and women have equal rights, and providing opportunities for quality education are key areas of focus for the EU’s support. In this article, Georgian women share how they benefited from opportunities offered to them thanks to EU-Georgia cooperation. Their stories show how this cooperation is helping to change lives for women across Georgia on a practical level and make the country stronger. Baia and Gvantsa: the winemakers turning a family tradition into a successful business “Winemaking had always been

used to make it for ourselves and not for commercial purposes,” says Baia Abuladze, a 24-year old winemaker from Obcha village in the Bagdati Municipality. “Then it became an interesting job for the younger members of the family and we took steps to turn our family’s tradition into a business.” That business was Baia’s Wine. Launched in 2015, Baia’s products are already being sold not only in Georgia, but also in the EU. She runs the company with her sister Gvantsa, and the products they manufacture are famous wine brands in Imereti region: “Tsolikouri”, “Tsitska”, “Krakhuna”, “Otskhanuri Sapere”. Baia’s plans to also revive the production from a ‘lost’ vine that is not used in agriculture any more and has only been preserved in vitro.

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March 12, 2018 #229

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First ever female steel workers in Turkey start jobs

Azerbaijan’s Salyan Oil company reveals volume of investments for 2018 Azerbaijani operating company Salyan Oil, which is developing the Kursangi and Garabagli onshore oil fields in the country, plans to increase investments in 2018, a source in the country’s oil and gas market told Trend. The source said that the increase in investments will allow the operating company to pay more attention to recovering production at the block. “According to the approved budget, Salyan Oil plans to invest about $40 million in the development of Kursangi and Garabagli fields in 2018, which is significantly more than in the previous year,” the source noted. The main part of investments will be used for the major overhaul of existing wells, perforation work and the use of expensive new technologies. The main focus of the company will be on maintaining and increasing oil production at the fields, the source added. Salyan Oil produced about 162,000 tons of oil from Kursangi and Garabagli fields in 2017. Around 445 tons of oil per day is produced from Kursangi and Garabagli fields. The fields are located in Azerbaijan’s Salyan district, around 150 kilometers from Baku. Some experts believe that the remaining oil reserves in the contract area exceed 150 million tons. The contract for the development of Kursangi-Garabagli was signed in 1998 for a period of 25 years. Participants of Salyan Oil are the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR and China National Oil & Gas Exploration and Development.

Armenian city of Sevan wins EU grant to create innovative business environment The city of Sevan in Armenia has received a grant through the EU-funded ‘Mayors for Economic Growth’ (M4EG) initiative to implement a project to improve the business environment, boost economic development and create new jobs in the city. Sevan, in Gegharkunik marz (region), joined the EU’s M4EG initiative in 2017. It has now received a grant through this multiannual initiative and been recognised as the first and only winning city in Armenia as a result of the call. EU Ambassador Piotr Świtalski congratulated the Mayor on the city’s winning proposal: “Promoting economic development in Armenia is a priority for the European Union, and it is an important factor to start this development in the regions. The economic development of any country is related to the equal development of the regions.” The new project entitled ‘EU4Sevan: SME platform for Business Development and Innovation’ will be implemented from 2018-2020 (24 months), and aims to create the conditions to improve the city’s business environment, boost economic development and create new jobs. The project is aiming to transform Sevan into a financially independent, economically sustainable and socially attractive community.

Turkey’s first ever female steel workers started working at the Borçelik factory in the western province of Bursa’s district of Gemlik on March 7. “Generally, when male applicants are enrolled in crane trainings for 15 days, the instructor selects one or two of them to be recruited, but none of the 26 female applicants could be eliminated,” said Emre Bülbül, the unit manager of management systems at Borçelik, a Turkish flat steel producer. They were selected among 2,350 women workers for the project, which commenced on April 1, 2017 with the motto “There is no tall order for women,” just after the recruiting team removed the limitation on sex from the required qualifications section of the job adverts. Following a shortlisting period, 26 of them joined the trainings on Jan. 4. In the beginning, there were only 19 positions available, but because the average training score was 99.5 over 100, they were all employed.

Not ‘factory roses’ The women, most of them university graduates who had to quit their jobs after having a baby or for some other reasons, are now operating cranes and weighbridges just like their male colleagues during the same day and night shifts. They are not “factory roses,” they perform the same tasks as men. “The posters and the mottos were attractive. I was sure that I would be capable of doing this job. I’m very determined, I knew I would learn how to do this definitely,” said Ayşegül Acar, 29 years old and married with two children. Having worked as a cashier and helper in a pharmacy before, she is now a field operator. Sinem Sevim Önal, 29, joined the elimination sessions with her son because she could not afford a babysitter. She is now a crane operator dealing with 20 tons of steel rolls. “I said ‘Why not’ and thought that we shouldn’t act in a prejudiced way,” she said.

To Achieve Gender Equality, We Need Women Entrepreneurs

Russian Women Deserve a Better #MeToo Moment The #MeToo movement has finally reached Russia. Unfortunately, it’s sad and astonishing for the women involved and for anyone who supports them. Russia’s current atmosphere is conducive to all sorts of power abuses, and the scandal in its parliament proves that nothing’s about to change. On February 22, the anti-Kremlin TVRain channel reported that Leonid Slutsky, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Russian parliament’s lower house, was being accused of making crude passes at female journalists. But the accused immediately went on the offensive, slamming the anonymity of his accusers. “Attempts to turn Slutsky into a Russian Harvey Weinstein resemble a cheap, low-blow provocation,” Slutsky posted on Facebook. “If anyone has complains about me, let those people voice them to my face.” The difference between his reaction and those in the West -- where apologies from powerful men are common, even when accompanied by denials -- is stark. In Russia, Slutsky garners more sympathy, at least from people crucial to his political standing, than his accusers. In the comments to the post (now deleted), a fellow lawmaker even offered to “take on a couple of journalists” if Slutsky would share the blame with the rest of

his committee. The following day, the parliament’s “Women’s Club” -- a caucus of female legislators -- issued a statement accusing the reporters of trying to soil Slutsky’s name without coming forward: Those who have decided to try this type of disinformation shouldn’t get carried away. The virus of unproven allegations that has struck Western nations and become a way of fighting competitors, is attempting to get into Russia. The character of this provocation is all too obvious. In response, the accusers went public. Ekaterina Kotrikadze, a Georgian journalist working for the RTVI channel, said Slutsky locked his office door during an interview, pushed her against the wall and tried to kiss her. Darya Zhuk, a TVRain producer, then accused Slutsky of forcibly kissing and touching her. Finally, on March 6, Farida Rustamova, who works for the BBC Russian Service, delivered what would have been a coup de grace anywhere in the West. She had audio of her 2017 encounter with Slutsky because she’d turned on her recorder to take a comment from him. On the tape, Slutsky calls her a “bunny rabbit,” offers her a job and asks her to leave her boyfriend to be his mistress.

In 2018, we have an opportunity to accelerate progress towards gender equality. Movements such as #MeToo have shone the spotlight on an unacceptable status quo and demonstrated how too many women the world over continue to be deprived of respect and equal opportunities. Let’s use International Women’s Day to build on this global momentum for change and suggest targeted solutions to empower women across our economies and societies. Women entrepreneurs have a key role to play. In Asia and the Pacific, there has been some progress towards greater equality. Maternal mortality rates have dropped by over 50 per cent between 2000 and 2015. An equal number of girls and boys are now enrolled for primary school education, and near parity exists for secondary and tertiary education. But overall progress remains much too slow. On our current trajectory, South Asia would achieve gender equality in 60 years, Central Asia in 130 and East Asia and the Pacific in 160. At this rate, most women will be dead before they are equal. We need to speed things up. With this objective in mind, the obstacles women face to find decent work or set up a business in Asia and the Pacific deserve special attention. Female labour force participation has declined in our region over the past thirty years. Most working women are trapped in precarious, informal employment, characterized by low wages and dangerous working conditions. Women are relied on to give up to six hours unpaid care work a day: invaluable to society, but thwarting career prospects, ambitions and political representation. We know that setting up a business is a key means for women to empower themselves and break out of poverty.

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March 12, 2018 #229

Embassy United States of America Embassy 11 Balanchivadze St., Dighomi Dstr., Tbilisi Tel: 27-70-00, 53-23-34 E-mail: tbilisivisa@state.gov; askconsultbilisi@state.gov United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Embassy 51 Krtsanisi Str., Tbilisi, Tel: 227-47-47 E-mail: british.embassy.tbilisi@fco.gov.uk Republic of France Embassy 49, Krtsanisi Str. Tbilisi, Tel: 272 14 90 E-mail: ambafrance@access.sanet.ge Web-site: www.ambafrance-ge.org Federal Republic of Germany Embassy 20 Telavi St. Tbilisi Tel: 44 73 00, Fax: 44 73 64 Italian RepublicEmbassy 3a Chitadze St, Tbilisi, Tel: 299-64-18, 292-14-62, 292-18-54 E-mail: embassy.tbilisi@esteri.it Republic of Estonia Embassy 4 Likhauri St., Tbilisi, Tel: 236-51-40 E-mail: tbilisisaatkond@mfa.ee Republic of Lithuania Embassy 25 Tengiz Abuladze St, Tbilisi Tel: 291-29-33 E-mail: amb.ge@urm.lt Republic of Latvia Embassy 16 Akhmeta Str., Avlabari, 0144 Tbilisi. E-mail: embassy.georgia@mfa.gov.lv Greece Republic Embassy 37. Tabidze St. Tbilisi Tel: 91 49 70, 91 49 71, 91 49 72 Czech RepublicEmbassy 37 Chavchavadze St. Tbilisi ;Tel: 291-67-40/41/42 E-mail: czechembassy@gol.ge Web-sait: www.mzv.cz Japan Embassy 7 Krtsanisi St. Tbilisi Tel: +995 32 2 75 21 11, Fax: +995 32 2 75 21 20 Kingdom of Sweden Embassy 15 Kipshidze St. Tbilisi Tel: +995 32 2 55 03 20 , Fax: +995 32 2 22 48 90 Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy Pixel Center, 34, Ilia Chavchavadze Ave. 3rd floor Tel: +995 32 227 62 00 People’s Republic of China Embassy 52 Barnov St. Tbilisi Tel: 225-22-86, 225-21-75, 225-26-70 E-mail: zhangling@access.sanet.ge Republic of Bulgaria Embassy 15 Gorgasali Exit, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia Tel: +995 32 291 01 94; +995 32 291 01 95 Fax: +99 532 291 02 70 Republic of Hungary Embassy 83 Lvovi Street, Tbilisi Tel: 39 90 08; E-mail: hunembtbs@gmail.com State of Israel Embassy 61 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tbilisi Tel: 95 17 09, 94 27 05 Embassy of Swiss Confederation’s Russian Federation Interests Section Embassy 51 Chavchavadze Av., Tbilisi Tel: 291-26-45, 291-24-06, 225-28-03 E-mail: RussianEmbassy@Caucasus.net Ukraine Embassy 76-g Chavchavadze Ave., Tbilisi Tel: 231-11-61, 231-14-54 E-mail: emb_ge@mfa.gov.ua Consular Agency: 71, Melikishvili St., Batumi Tel: (8-88-222) 3-16-00/ 3-14-78 Republic of Turkey Embassy 35 Chavchavadze Ave., Tbilisi Tel: 225-20-72/73/74/76 embassy.tbilisi@mfa.gov.tr Consulate General in Batumi 9 Ninoshvili Street, Batumi Tel: 422 25 58 00 consulate.batumi@mfa.gov.tr Republic of Azerbaijan Embassy Kipshidze II-bl . N1., Tbilisi Tel: 225-26-39, 225-35-26/27/28 E-mail: tbilisi@mission.mfa.gov.az Address: Dumbadze str. 14, Batumi Tel: 222-7-67-00; Fax: 222-7-34-43 Republic of Armenia Embassy 4 Tetelashvili St. Tbilisi Tel: 95-94-43, 95-17-23, 95-44-08 Kingdom of Spain Embassy Rustaveli Ave. 24, I floor, Tbilisi Tel: 230-54-64 E-mail: emb.tiflis@maec.esRomania Embassy 7 Kushitashvili St., Tbilisi Tel: 38-53-10; 25-00-98/97 E-mail: ambasada@caucasus.net Republic of Poland Embassy

Tbilisi Guide Oniashvili str. 24, Tbilisi Tel.: +995322 920398; Fax: +995322 920397 Email:tbilisi.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl Web-site: www.tbilisi.polemb.net Republic of Iraq Embassy Kobuleti str. 16, Tbilisi Tel: 291 35 96; 229 07 93 E-mail: iraqiageoemb@yahoo.com Federative Republic of Brazil Embassy Chanturia street 6/2, Tbilisi Tel.: +995-32-293-2419 Fax.: +995-32-293-2416 Islamic Republic of Iran Embassy 80, I.Chavchavadze St. Tbilisi, Tel: 291-36-56, 291-36-58, 291-36-59, 291-36-60; Fax: 291-36-28 E-mail: iranemb@geo.net.ge United Nations Office Address: 9 Eristavi St. Tbilisi Tel: 225-11-26/28, 225-11-29/31 Fax: 225-02-71/72 E-mail: registry.geo@undp.org Web-site: www.undp.org International Monetary Fund Office Address : 4 Freedom Sq., GMT Plaza, Tbilisi Tel: 292-04-32/33/34 E-mail: kdanelia@imf.org Web-site: www.imf.ge Asian Development Bank Georgian Resident Mission Address: 1, G. Tabidze Street

Freedom Square 0114 Tbilisi, Georgia Tel: +995 32 225 06 19 e-mail: adbgrm@adb.org; Web-site: www.adb.org World Bank Office Address : 5a Chavchavadze Av., lane-I, Tbilisi, Georgia ; Tel: 291-30-96, 291-26-89/59 Web-site: www.worldbank.org.ge Regional Office of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Address: 6 Marjanishvili St. Tbilisi Tel: 244 74 00, 292 05 13, 292 05 14 Web-site: www.ebrd.com Representation of the Council of Europe in Georgia Address : 26 Br. Kakabadze, Tbilisi Tel: 995 32 291 38 70/71/72/73 Fax: 995 32 291 38 74 Web-site: www.coe.ge Embassy of the Slovak Republic Address: Chancery: 85 Irakli Abashidze St. Tbilisi, 0162 Georgia Consular Office: 38 Nino Chkheidze St. Tbilisi, 0102 Georgia Phone: 2 222 4437, 2 296 1913 e-mail: emb.tbilisi@mzv.sk European Investment Bank Regional Representation for the South Caucasus Address: 1,G.Tabidze Street, Freedom Square Phone: +995 322 006284 Embassy of The Republic of Korea 12, Titsian Tabidze Str. Tbilisi 0179, Geogia Tel: (995 32) 297 03 18; 297 03 20; Fax: (995 32) 242 74 40; Email: georgia@mofa.go.kr

Hotels in Georgia TBILISI MARRIOTT Tbilisi , 13 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 77 92 00, www.marriott.com COURTYARD MARRIOTT Tbilisi , 4 Freedom Sq. Tel: 77 91 00 www.marriott.com RADISSON BLU HOTEL, TBILISI Rose Revolution Square 1 0108, Tbilisi Tel: +995 32 402200 radissonblu.com/hotel-tbilisi RADISSON BLU HOTEL, BATUMI Ninoshvili Str. 1, 6000 Bat’umi, Georgia Tel: 8 422255555 http://radissonblu.com/hotel-batumi SHERATON METECHI PALACE Tbilisi , 20 Telavi St. Tel: 77 20 20, www.starwoodhotels.com Holiday Inn Tbilisi Business hotel Addr: 1, 26 May Square Tel: +995 32 230 00 99 E-mail: info@hi-tbilisi.com Website: http://www.hi-tbilisi.com River Side Hotel With incredible service and views Addr: Mari Brosse street turn, Old Tbilisi. Tel: +995 32 2242244; +995 32 2242288 Fax: +995 32 2 242277 Email: info@riverside.ge Website: www.riverside.ge

Restaurants Corner House Tbilisi, I. Chavchavadze ave. 10, Tel: 0322 47 00 49; Email: contact@cornerhouse.ge Restaurant Barakoni Restaurant with healthy food. Georgian-European Cuisine Agmashenebeli Alley 13th Phone: 555 77 33 77 www.barakoni.com CHARDIN 12 Tbilisi , 12 Chardin St. , Tel: 92 32 38 Cafe 78 Best of the East and the West Lado Asatiani 33, SOLOLAKI 032 2305785; 574736290 BREAD HOUSE Tbilisi , 7 Gorgasali St. , Tel: 30 30 30 BUFETTI - ITALIAN RESTAURANT Tbilisi , 31 I. Abashidze St. , Tel: 22 49 61 DZVELI SAKHLI Tbilisi , 3 Right embankment , Tel: 92 34 97, 36 53 65, Fax: 98 27 81 IN THE SHADOW OF METEKHI Tbilisi , 29a Tsamebuli Ave. , Tel: 77 93 83, Fax: 77 93 83 SAKURA - JAPANESE RESTAURANT Tbilisi , 29 I. Abashidze St. , Tel: 29 31 08, Fax: 29 31 08 SIANGAN - CHINESE RESTAURANT Tbilisi , 41 Peking St , Tel: 37 96 88 VERA STEAK HOUSE Tbilisi , 37a Kostava St , Tel: 98 37 67 BELLE DE JOUR 29 I. Abashidze str, Tbilisi; Tel: (+995 32) 230 30 30 VONG 31 I. Abashidze str, Tbilisi Tel: (+995 32) 230 30 30 BRASSERIE L’EXPRESS 14 Chardin str, Tbilisi Tel: (+995 32) 230 30 30 TWO SIDE PARTY CLUB 7 Bambis Rigi, Tbilisi Tel: (+995 32) 230 30 30

Cinemas AKHMETELI Tbilisi. “Akhmeteli” Subway Station Tel: 58 66 69 AMIRANI Tbilisi. 36 Kostava St. Tel: 99 99 55, RUSTAVELI Tbilisi. 5 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 92 03 57, 92 02 85, SAKARTVELO Tbilisi. 2/9 Guramishvili Ave. Tel: 8 322308080,

15 SH. RUSTAVELI STATE THEATRE Tbilisi. 17 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 93 65 83, Fax: 99 63 73 TBILISI STATE MARIONETTE THEATRE Tbilisi. 26 Shavteli St. Tel: 98 65 89, Fax: 98 65 89 Z. PALIASHVILI TBILISI STATE THEATRE OF OPERA AND BALLET Tbilisi. 25 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 98 32 49, Fax: 98 32 50

Galleries ART GALLERY LINE Tbilisi. 44 Leselidze St. BAIA GALLERY Tbilisi. 10 Chardin St. Tel: 75 45 10 GALLERY Tbilisi. 12 Erekle II St. Tel: 93 12 89

75 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tbilisi Tel: 577 18 27 87 Email: hostelmtevnebi@yahoo.com

GSS Car rental offers a convenient service for those who are interested in renting car in Georgia. Rental fleet mainly consist of Japanese made SUV’s, the company has various models of cars including sedans and minivans which are in good technical condition. Contact information: Email: info@gsservices.ge. Address: Shalva Dadiani 10

Limelight Travel info Center Address: 13 Sioni Street, 0105, Tbilisi (at the end of Shardeni Street) Phone: +995 322 999 123 E-mail: info@limelight.ge Web-page: www.limelight.ge Facebook page: www.facebook.com/limelight.ge

Theatres A. GRIBOEDOV RUSSIAN STATE DRAMA THEATRE Tbilisi. 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 93 58 11, Fax: 93 31 15 INDEPENDENT THEATRE Tbilisi. 2 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 98 58 21, Fax: 93 31 15 K. MARJANISHVILI STATE ACADEMIC THEATRE Tbilisi. 8 Marjanishvili St. Tel: 95 35 82, Fax: 95 40 01 M. TUMANISHVILI CINEMA ACTORS THEATRE Tbilisi. 164 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 35 31 52, 34 28 99, Fax: 35 01 94 METEKHI – THEATRE OF GEORGIAN NATIONAL BALLET Tbilisi. 69 Balanchivadze St. Tel: (99) 20 22 10 MUSIC AND DRAMATIC STATE THEATRE Tbilisi. 182 Agmashenebeli Ave. Tel: 34 80 90, Fax: 34 80 90 NABADI - GEORGIAN FOLKLORE THEATRE Tbilisi. 19 Rustaveli Ave. Tel: 98 99 91 S. AKHMETELI STATE DRAMATIC THEATRE Tbilisi. 8 I. Vekua St. Tel: 62 59 73

The Best Georgian Honey of chestnuts,acacia and lime flowers from the very hart of Adjara Matchakhela gorge in the network of Goodwill, Nikora and smart

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March 12, 2018 #229