Issue #1310

Issue no: 1310

• AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY

PRICE: GEL 2.50

In this week’s issue...

Pre-trial Detention Ordered for Olympic Champion, Former MP Zurab Zviadauri NEWS PAGE 2

PM: Government Works to Build New City on Site of Former Gonio Polygon, with Offices, Banks, Casinos POLITICS PAGE 3

FOCUS

ON THE NATO PULLOUT 32 Georgian service members gave their lives for the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

Another 435 were wounded.

We look at the pullout and what it might mean for the future of the West

PAGE 4

Photo by Rahmat Gul/AP

Witnessing the Fall of the USSR BLOG BY TONY HANMER

T

he USSR. Remember that? My wife lived half her life during it. I managed a single visit to the Soviet Union before the fall, and happened to be there at the beginning of the

end.

Some friends and I visited Moscow in summer 1991. We didn't have money to travel around the country, and were staying on the edge of the city with a Russian family. Some impressions: Hare Krishnas chanting in Sheremetyevo Airport. African refugees squatting there too. Having flown in from Budapest, which had had its revolution already and was starting to westernize, this place in comparison really seemed to be waiting for change. My last visit to Moscow, in 2006, made it seem like the West when put next to Tbilisi. The greyness, the lack of food in the shops. Quiet desperation. The magnificence of St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, a fantasy of swirling colour spirals. Lenin in his tomb, the whole thing like a descent into a modern pyramid, complete with an aura of soundless "awe".

Continued on page 10

D-tech Seeking Talent!

BUSINESS PAGE 7

How Georgia Can Enhance State Support Programs for Startups and MEs BUSINESS PAGE 8

Nova - 15 Years of Experience in the Georgian Market of Construction and Repair Materials BUSINESS PAGE 9

Mass Vaccination Center Set up in the Hualing Plaza Area SOCIETY PAGE 11

Georgian Film ‘What We See When We Look at the Sky’ Nominated as Best Film at Fipresci CULTURE PAGE 11 CULTURE PAGE 11 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by

Markets As of 16ͲAugͲ2021

Price

w/w

m/m

w/w

m/m

GRAIL 07/28

101.56 (YTM 3.74%)

+0,0%

+0,1%

Bank of Georgia (BGEO LN)

GBP 15.24

Ͳ3,1%

+5,0%

GEBGG 07/23

BONDS

106.69 (YTM 2.44%)

Ͳ0,0%

Ͳ0,1%

Georgia Capital (CGEO LN)

GBP 6.52

+4,8%

+1,4%

TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN)

GBP 13.48

+4,5%

+13,1%

GEOCAP 03/24

102.36 (YTM 5.13%)

Ͳ0,1%

+0,3%

SILNET 04/24

109.41 (YTM 7.00%)

Ͳ0,3%

Ͳ0,7%

TBC 06/24

108.25 (YTM 2.71%)

+0,1%

Ͳ0,0%

GGU 07/25

106.85 (YTM 5.79%)

Ͳ0,0%

+0,1%

STOCKS

CURRENCIES

Price

Price

w/w

m/m

GEL / USD

3,1060

+0,1%

Ͳ0,4%

GEL / EUR

3,6578

+0,5%

Ͳ0,7%

COMMODITIES

Price

w/w

m/m

GEL / GBP

4,3023

+0,1%

+0,2%

Crude Oil, Brent (US$/bbl)

69,51

+0,7%

Ͳ5,5%

GEL / CHF

3,4060

+1,0%

+0,4%

GEL / RUB

1 787,45

+3,3%

Ͳ1,4%

0,0424

+0,5%

+0,7%

GEL / TRY

0,3670

+2,4%

+0,5%

INDICES

Price

w/w

m/m

GEL / AZN

1,8282

+0,2%

FTSE 100

7 153,98

+0,3%

+2,1%

GEL / AMD

0,0063

Ͳ

Ͳ

FTSE 250

23 712,67

+1,1%

+5,5%

GEL / UAH

0,1161

Ͳ

+1,3%

DAX

15 925,73

+1,1%

+2,5%

EUR / USD

0,8492

Ͳ0,3%

+0,2%

DOW JONES

35 625,40

+1,5%

+2,7%

GBP / USD

0,7225

+0,0%

Ͳ0,5%

NASDAQ

14 793,76

Ͳ0,4%

+2,5%

CHF / USD

0,9121

Ͳ0,9%

Ͳ0,8%

191,62

+1,8%

+4,2%

RUB / USD

73,2480

Ͳ0,6%

Ͳ1,1%

Gold Spot (US$/OZ)

MSCI EM EE

Ͳ0,4%

MSCI EM

1 272,19

Ͳ1,7%

Ͳ5,1%

TRY / USD

8,4609

Ͳ2,3%

Ͳ0,8%

SP 500

4 479,71

+1,1%

+3,5%

AZN / USD

1,6990

Ͳ0,1%

Ͳ0,1%

MSCI FM

2 555,88

+0,9%

+1,5%

AMD / USD

493,5200

+0,3%

Ͳ0,2%

2

NEWS

GEORGIA TODAY

AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

Pre-trial Detention Ordered for Olympic Champion, Former MP Zurab Zviadauri Corona Updates: Vaccinations Up, Mobile Clinics Mobilized, but More Action Needed from Citizens

BY ANA DUMBADZE

D

espite the re-introduced restrictions, among them the suspension of municipal transport until September 4 and re-introducing the obligation of wearing face masks in open spaces, the daily numbers of infection cases and fatalities in Georgia continue to grow alarmingly.

The local healthcare sector is overloaded due to an increasing number of infected patients. Furthermore, the recent increase in fatalities is related to wide circulation of the Indian strain (Delta), which is much more severe than the “traditional” Chinese or British strains.

Amiran Gamkrelidze, Head of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), said the coronavirus infection rate today is three times higher than in May, and the healthcare system is "working on the edge of tension." The NCDC Director urged the population to observe social distancing, wear face masks and get vaccinated.

To make vaccine jabs available for everyone, the Ministry of Health announced that individuals who are unable to move due to bad health can be vaccinated against coronavirus at home. They just need to call 15 22 to arrange it.

In the regions, the Prime Minister noted this week that to maximize the population’s access to vaccines, mobile medical groups have been set up. These groups will coordinate with local municipalities to make the vaccines accessible to citizens who are unable to get to existing vaccination centers.

Considering such a difficult situation, it is still unknown if schoolchildren will be able to resume their studies in classrooms in September, or whether they will have to again study online.

Georgian capital Tbilisi and the Adjara region, in particular its main city Batumi, remain the hotspots in terms of the virus spread. The western Imereti region comes next in terms of increasing daily coronavirus cases.

Ahead of the emergency situation, a field hospital has been set up in a part of the Dighomi Olympic Village in Tbilisi. Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze said such field hospitals would be fully equipped, and include up to 500 beds.

THE STATISTICS Georgia reported 2676 coronavirus cases, 4119 recoveries, and 30 deaths on Monday, however, these numbers were, as usual, due to the fewer tests conducted over the weekend, just 25,730 tests in total.

Georgia reported 6208 coronavirus cases, 3539 recoveries, and 47 deaths on Tuesday, as a result of 47,872 tests conducted.

The country recorded 5914 coronavirus cases, 3316 recoveries, and 49 deaths on Wednesday, following the 56,878 tests conducted.

On Thursday, a record number of fatalities was detected, with Georgia reporting 58 COVID-related deaths, 4921

coronavirus cases, and 4471 recoveries.

The daily test-positivity rate currently stands at 9.95%, down from 10.78% over the past 14 days.

Georgia’s total case tally has reached 501,297 since February 2020, among them 436,977 people recovered and 6590 died.

THE VACCINES Against the background of increasing cases and fatalities, the vaccination process also became more active, with more and more people deciding to get a vaccine jab and protect themselves and other citizens.

As of August 19, 883,570 people had received a Covid-19 vaccine, among them 258,303 are now fully vaccinated.

COVID AROUND THE WORLD The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 210 million, with more than 4.3 million deaths, based on the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

There are currently more than 17.4 million active cases of infection worldwide.

The highest number of infections, 38 million cases, has been confirmed in the United States, followed by India with 32.3 million cases, followed by Brazil, Russia and France.

New Zealand moved to the top level-4 national lockdown from midnight Tuesday after the first identified COVID-19 case in six months was found in the Auckland community.

Japan has recorded a record number of coronavirus cases, while critical care beds in Tokyo are nearing capacity less than a week before the city is due to host the Paralympic Games.

The latest wave of Covid-19 infections has spread beyond Tokyo, the center of previous outbreaks, with Osaka, neighboring Hyogo and other prefectures all reporting record caseloads on Wednesday. Nationally, the number of daily infections reached a record 23,917 according to a tally by the public broadcaster NHK. The United States reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, equating to around 42 fatalities an hour, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant continues to ravage parts of the country with low vaccination rates.

Coronavirus-related deaths have spiked in the US over the past month and are averaging 769 per day, the highest since mid-April, as reported by Reuters tally.

The last time the United States recorded more than 1,000 deaths on a daily basis was in March.

Positive tests, hospitalizations and deaths linked to COVID-19 have been rising slowly in the UK again. In the week leading up to August 18th, 211,238 people had a confirmed positive test result, an increase of 7.6% compared with the previous seven days. Over the same period, there have been 655 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, a rise of 7.9% versus the previous seven days. Hospitalizations have also risen slightly, with 5,623 going into hospital with coronavirus between 8 August 2021 and 14 August 2021, a rise of 4.3% compared with the week prior.

BY ANA DUMBADZE

T

elavi District Court has ordered pre-trial detention for Olympic champion, former MP Zurab Zviadauri.

Olympic champion Zurab Zviadauri was arrested in connection with the murder of 3 people in Tsinan-

dali on August 16. Among the three murdered was his brother, Zviad Zviadauri.

Another person arrested during the incident, Jaba Jangirashvili, standing accused of negligent possession of firearms, was also sent to pre-trial detention.

Zviadauri pleads not guilty. His lawyer, Magda Kotrikadze, says he acted within the framework of necessary self-defense.

Zurab Zviadauri is charged under Article 108 of the Criminal Code of Georgia

(premeditated murder). He faces a prison term from 8 to 15 years if convicted.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that he shot dead the man who shot his brother and several other people. He then took his wounded brother to the hospital, who later died.

Reportedly, the current Olympic champions Lasha Bekauri and Lasha Talakhadze expressed their desire to stand surety for him.

“I know that the current Olympic champions Lasha Bekauri and Lasha Talakhadze are ready to stand surety,” Zviadauri’s lawyer said.

Georgian judoka Zviadauri competed in the Men’s 90 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal, the first for Georgia. He also won two silver medals in world championships (in 2001 and in 2003) and a bronze in the European championship in 2002.

In 2012, he was elected to the Parliament of Georgia for the Akhmeta Municipality on a Georgian Dream coalition ticket.

Zviadauri is a cousin of another Olympic champion, Georgian-born Greek Judoka Ilias Iliadis (born Jarji Zviadauri), who also won gold at the 2004 Summer Olympic games.

St Nino’s Turkish Birth Town Twinned with Sighnaghi

BY KETEVAN SKHIRLADZE

O

rtahisar, a town in Turkey where the legendary St. Nino was born, has been twinned with Kakheti’s citadel of Sighnaghi, where St. Nino is now buried in the Bodbe Nunnery. Mayors Mustafa Ates and Giorgi Gogilashvili signed the protocol in Bodbe, while the Sighnaghi municipality as a whole hosted the Turkish delegation.

Saint Nino preached Christianity in Georgia in the IV century. She is equal to the Apostles and the Enlightener of Georgia. As legends describe, she performed miracles and converted the Georgian Queen, Nana. Saint Nino’s grapevine cross, said to have been tied together with cuts of her own hair, is a symbol of Georgian Christianity.

Before the official signing ceremony, the members of the delegation visited the Sighnaghi National Museum and explored examples of the ancient Georgian culture, as well as discovering some

original works of renowned primitive 20th century painter Niko Pirosmani.

Turkish Ambassador to Georgia Fatma SerenYazgan,representativesoftheKakheti Regional Administration, and City Hall staff, attended the signing ceremony. An exhibition specially arranged for this day

was held in the yard of the nunnery, promoting the town of Ortahisar in photos.

On the same day, a dialogue was held between the two sides in the nunnery, seeing them discuss the life of St. Nino, her merits, and plans for future cooperation.

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

3

Was the USSR Really That Evil?

OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

T

he times of the Cold War saw countless vicious actions and mutually vituperative speeches exchanged between the leaders of the free world and the communist camp behind the Iron Curtain, but one of them will remain stuck in our minds for as long as the globe safely continues its orbit: President Ronald Reagan’s description of the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire” before the National Association of Evangelicals on March 8, 1983. The celebrated utterance became a real catchphrase in global politics, since perhaps quoted more often than any other line in history.

Soon after, the soviet empire collapsed, but I wonder if the world has become less evil or any safer as a consequence. Empires come and go, but evil, fear and danger never leave. Reagan managed in a matter of seconds to stigmatize the Soviet Union so badly that it became almost impossible for it to wash the black mark off. The POTUS may have been right in his world-popular judgment, but whether the USSR was actually that evil might be a question asking for a response.

As a matter of fact, the current irredeemable evil that this country suffers might more accurately be rooted in the collapse of the USSR, within the boundaries of which Georgia was in one piece.

Let’s forget for a second the ideological inequity and the economic strife it went through due to the innate nature of the soviet regime, and concentrate on the since forfeited territorial integrity, which is the worst historical pain we have suffered in a long time. And not a vestige of hope looms on the horizon that it will ever be reinstated. No, here, we are talking about the deplorable fact of downsizing our land by one-third of its de-jure dimension, saying nothing about the number of its populace from five down to three and a half million people.

I am in no way decrying the loss of the soviet country, because I know very well its flaws and vices, and I am not at all for its reincarnation. God forbid! I am just trying to ask a simple rhetorical question: why was it an evil for Georgia if its ter-

President Ronald Reagan described the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire” before the National Association of Evangelicals on March 8, 1983. Source: Wikimedia

ritory was intact and the Georgian people’s chance to reproduce itself was indisputably higher. After all, (lack of) territorial integrity is the precursor to the acute geo-political, geo-economic and demographic problems that we are currently faced with.

And I wish the list was limited to these!

Within the soviet socio-political framework, Georgia owed its existence to just one body – the soviet government, nobody asking us to return the debt or pay due interest on it. Now, we owe billions of dollars (not just rubles) to almost the entire world, and we are obligated to deliver every dollar on servicing that debt, saying nothing about the obligation to finally pay off the principal too. Forget

PM: Government Works to Build New City on Site of Former Gonio Polygon, with Offices, Banks, Casinos

about free and good soviet education and healthcare! Independence is expensive!

Life in general has made huge progress. Who would have dreamed of computers and cell phones in the country of soviets, or the cars of every make and model that we see in such abundance and variety on our streets? But that is also the product of changing times, as the standard of living often depends on the overall level of well-being around the globe. People are certainly better off now, but how much better off? As a soviet country, Georgia wouldn’t worry at all about the demarcation of its borders and paying the guards of the frontiers, whereas the current hateful borderization pum-

mels at our hearts and minds on a daily basis, accompanied as it is by the frequent arrests of our citizens and their occasional deaths too.

So, why was the USSR such a big evil for Georgia? Evil it was, as such, of course, but isn’t it a historical paradox that Georgia’s headaches were at a nadir in soviet times compared to the splitting ones right now? Rejection of those quizzical comparisons might not be a difficult job for the haters of our past and the lovers of our contemporary life, but it might well be a matter of fair and wise discourse as to what side the truth would preponderate if the merits and flaws of both periods were put on a scale.

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BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

T

he Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, announced at the mayoral nomination ceremony in Gonio, near Batumi, that a new city is to be built on the site of a former shooting range, the “polygon” in Gonio, with casinos, offices and banks.

The Prime Minister was in Gonio to attend the presentation of Khelvachauri mayoral candidate Zaza Diasamidze. He spoke about the unique for-

mer Gonio polygon, which is about 300 hectares in size.

“On my instructions, the government is working with the Ministry of Economy, including the local Governor of Adjara, Mr. Tornike Rizhvadze, on my vision of a special economic zone with a financial center being created on the site of the former Gonio polygon. The concept will be completed by the end of the year. We want to involve the best companies and organizations specializing in this field to build this new city in Gonio, which will offer casinos, offices, and banks, making it a financial center, in order to bring new life to this region,” the PM said.

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4

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

Afghanistan and the Future of Central Asia

BY MIKE GODWIN

W

ith the withdrawal of thousands of United States and NATO soldiers from Afghanistan’s air bases, the nation's fledgling military is left to fend for itself as Taliban militants swarm into the power vacuum that is left. Sadly, the evidence is clear that their military has not been able to stand alone without the NATO support structure. Multiple videos and images display the Afghan Army not only running or disbanding, but also surrendering to the Taliban offensive, many times being gunned down for their effort.

As NATO becomes more disinterested in the Afghan campaign, it will soon relinquish that control to not only the Taliban, but involvement from other nefarious forces, namely the Chinese.

Already, Chinese dignitaries have met with Taliban “officials.” It has become uncomfortably obvious that the United States has all but abandoned the Afghan people, a people that had, until recently, experienced a period of relative peace and stability. In fact, even the military units stationed there have been uncharacteristically peaceful and calm. The last significant military casualties took place almost 18 months ago, on February 8, 2020. On that day, SFC Javier Guteirrez and SFC Antonio Rodriguez were ambushed by a rogue Afghan Army member, an attack that even the boastful Taliban has been confused about and still never claimed responsibility for. As the military citation reads: “Both men were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, out of the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Both soldiers were posthumously promoted to sergeant 1st class and awarded Bronze

The new installation of a terrorist government, backed and befriended by enemies of the West, will only spell misfortune for the future of Western ideals.

Chinese, Russian and other oppressive governments will now have free reign with the removal of a NATO presence in Central Asia.

Photo by the AFP Times

Star medals and Purple Hearts.”

In order to have a proverbial endless war, there needs to be a war in the first place. When virtually no casualties and violence reduce that to an essential peacekeeping mission, it is doubtful to label it a war in the traditional sense.

With total American expenses ranging between $40 million and $45 million, it took up less than 1% of the United States’ foreign policy budget. Hardly a money pit compared to other far larger expenditures. Now, as the Taliban are given the resources of an entire nation, they will begin to resemble something NATO has more recently fought: ISIS or Daesh, the so-called Islamic State.

Some have taken measures that resemble an attempt to dignify these terrorists as governors and diplomats. The United States White House has already stated “The Taliban also need to make an assessment about what they want their role to be in the international community and [the ambassador] will make it clear that the international community will be watching closely how the Taliban behaves.

They also have a range of tools in their arsenal, with which to take steps should they choose.”

To even the most juvenile of defense, political, and military analysts, it would seem puerile to expect the Taliban to operate as an organized political entity and not the terrorist mob they really are.

Already, human rights abuses are recorded to be taking place, Afghan soldiers conned into surrendering are being shot in the street, and women are being beaten and forcibly removed from their previously attained public and private positions.

Government employees that have left their posts are being called and harassed by the Taliban, which now has records of their employment and access to contact information and addresses. The situation on the inside of the nation is growing worse than anything seen during NATO control.

The West has threatened economic sanctions, as if a country that has existed on purely domestic production and poverty will suffer any consequences from nations that do little other than military support. In Afghanistan, a man and an AK series rifle can do enough to feed a family and make a living. Some politicians, particularly in the United States, have made the argument that the need for soldiers has dissolved. However, see-

ing a repeat of the hasty and haphazard exit from Vietnam is discouraging for many of the men and women that served in the embattled nation.

“I think that Afghanistan was the Forgotten War, and a war we never should have started to begin with,” said Specialist Ryan Mash, 1st Battalion, 32nd Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division, United States Army. “There were no goals, no end state, just a war that was designed to be sustained. Vietnam should’ve have been a lesson to all Americans, and here we are basically doing the same thing. We didn’t win, the Afghanistan war wasn’t a victory for the American people, and it sure as fuck wasn’t for Afghanis. I had already come to the conclusion years ago that we fought over there for nothing. We were fighting just to fight, in some politician’s war, for no reason at all. The pullout confirms what I already knew, it was all for nothing. I HOPE people see this war for what it is, and I hope this is the wake-up call for Americans to start seriously questioning the actions of their government.”

Now, with the abandonment of NATO weapons and vehicle stockpiles, there is plenty of weaponry to go around.

Already confirmed are videos of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), small arms, rocket launchers, and even gym equipment being seized by the Taliban.

Military Vehicles and weapons are being utilized and organized for use against the government forces still loyal to a free Afghan republic.

October 7, 2001 was the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. During its course, 3592 NATO Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen would be killed as a result of nearly 20 years of blood, sweat and tears. In addition, Afghanistan lost over 66,000 of its own security force members in its struggle. Over 440 aid workers and another 72 journalists were killed in the work to rebuild the nation.

Some stated their exasperation and distrust at the government, including NATO, that sent them into a mission they could never traditionally win. Fighting an enemy that is not what they trained to combat, hiding in forests and caves instead of forming battalions and coming to the field, is not what much of the West was prepared for. Many, including French, Danish, German, Italian, Hungarian, and other European military detachments, have put in too much for

NATO to remove themselves from the equation.

Members of the NATO mission have stated that the majority of their operations provided security, but also a cash flow for many of the populace. The infiltration of the army and other security services by the Taliban rendered much of the trustworthiness to nil.

Now, thousands of Taliban fighters are flowing into the capital as the US and NATO leadership has seemingly decided that the mission is untenable. The United States leadership has orchestrated a less than ideal pullout of forces, removal of support for the Afghan Defense Forces, and abandonment of social support services. The $700 million US embassy is standing by to be overrun as the employees are evacuated and the American flag is taken down. Schools and clinics across the country are being shut down, government services are being eliminated, and the Taliban is restoring the abusive government regime from before the 2001 invasion.

For the Georgian soldiers that served in the contested terrain of Afghanistan, many seem either disappointed or frustrated by the waste of manpower and resources spent in an attempt to save the beleaguered nation. 32 Georgian service members gave their lives for this mission. Another 435 were wounded in the operations Georgia undertook on behalf of NATO and in defense of the Afghan people. And, as the last 3500 American troops are removed, the United States is realizing that the collapse will bite harder than expected. Already, another 3000 United States Marines are being mobilized for deployment to protect high priority individuals, particularly the staff of the embassy. Georgian air transports are already operating to evacuate its citizens and related employees from the nation.

China and Russia have already expressed interests in the collapsing country. China is in talks with Taliban members about collaboration, giving the communist nation further dominance over Central Asia. In fact, only three nations have not pulled their diplomatic corps from the embassies in Kabul: Russia, China, and Pakistan. This should tell any observing official all they need to know about the intentions of these criminal regimes.

These strategic competitors to the West are enthralled at the removal of the bea-

The pullout confirms what I already knew, it was all for nothing. I hope people see this war for what it is, and I hope this is the wake-up call for Americans to start seriously questioning the actions of their government. Specialist Ryan Mash, 1st Battalion, 32nd Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division, United States Army con of democracy and liberty from their backyard. The new installation of a terrorist government, backed and befriended by enemies of the West, will only spell misfortune for those seeking to live free, as well as for the future of Western ideals. Chinese, Russian, and other oppressive governments will now have free reign and freedom of movement with the removal of a NATO presence in Central Asia.

IWG plc, Level 4, 2 Leonidze str. Tbilisi, Georgia | +995 32 290 039

6

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

Tourism Recovery Prospects in Georgia

A

fter a challenging 2020 and early 2021 for the tourism sector, various positive developments, such as the alleviation of restrictions, were seen in the tourism sector in Georgia in the second quarter of 2021. As of July 2021, there are no restrictions of movement in place within Georgia, and both land and air borders are open for eligible visitors. Below is a timeline of the relaxing of various COVID-19 measures in the second quarter of 2021: • From May 17, the curfew was moved from 21:00 to 23:00.

• From May 22, restaurants were allowed to operate on weekends in open spaces.

• From June 1, restaurants were allowed to operate on weekends in both open and closed spaces.

• From June 1, land borders were reopened.

• From June 14, tourism information centers around the country re-opened.

• From June 16, mandatory PCR testing for visitors under the age of 10 was eliminated.

• From July 1, the curfew (23:00 – 04:00) was removed.

The prospects of the tourism sector’s recovery in 2021 have also received a significant boost from developments

in the aviation industry. According to Mariam Kvrivishvili, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, as of July 2021, 72% of the number of direct flight routes had been recovered, compared to 2019 levels. In particular, Batumi International Airport has shown rather positive tendencies, with growth of 21% in terms of the number of flight destinations compared to 2019 levels*.

WizzAir, a major airline carrier for the Georgian market, has reestablished its international hub in Kutaisi. Meanwhile, various other airlines (such as FlyArystan, Air Astana, Air Manas, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, FlyDubai, LOT Polish Airlines, Eurowings, Bees Airlines, Aegan Airlines and Turkish Airlines) have renewed, expanded, or started operations in Georgia so far in 2021**.

The tourism sector also received another boost recently as in the updated state budget of 2021, the Georgian National Tourism Administration’s budget was increased by GEL 10 mln .

In addition, Georgia has been elected to the Executive Council of the UNWTO for four years, which will allow the country to have a say in global developments in the tourism sector.

These positive developments have resulted in a significant increase in the

number of international visitors since March 2021. Moreover, apart from absolute numbers, the growth has also

been evident with respect to the prepandemic levels of visitors (defined as average number of visitors in respective month in 2017-19) - in March 2021, only 19% of pre-pandemic level was recovered, while in July 2021, this figure amounted to 39%.

However, there are significant obstacles that persist in the way of recovery.

In particular, the significant increase in number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks raises uncertainty about tourism’s recovery in 2021 and beyond. Pertinently, this spike has recently resulted in Georgia moving to the red country list of Israel, one of Georgia’s key source markets, especially in 2021 so far. This has already resulted in Israel moving from 2nd place in terms of visitors in June to 5th in July. Moreover, despite the rollout of a general vaccination program, and a specific program for the tourism sector, the vaccination process has not been fast enough so far, with most of the sector and the country still unvaccinated (even with the vaccination rate picking up in recent weeks). In fact, some measures for curbing the spread of the virus have been reinstalled. Rapid scale-up of the vaccination process and

mitigation of the spread of the virus is crucial for sustaining current positive developments in the sector.

HOTEL PRICE INDEX In July 2021, in Georgia, the hotel price index increased by 9% compared to June 2021. The 3-star, 4-star and 5-star hotel price index increased by 9.4%, while for guesthouses, the price index increased by 5.9%.

In July 2021, compared to July 2019, hotel prices in Georgia increased by 5.6%. The prices of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels increased by 4.2% and the prices of guesthouses decreased by 0.6%.

AVERAGE HOTEL PRICES In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 149 GEL per night in July 2021, while the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 265 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 85 GEL per night.

The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in July 2021 was 524 GEL per night. In Guria, the average price was 809 GEL, followed by Adjara - 550 GEL, Kakheti - 543 GEL and Tbilisi – 539 GEL.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

7

Successful Projects of Development Company York Towers

Y

ork Towers Company is one of the leading construction and development companies in the Georgian market. The company has completed up to 20 projects that have brought great experience to York Towers. The priority for the company is the highest quality, affordable prices and properly selected locations. At this stage, with an investment of $100 million, a multifunctional residential complex is being built in Tabakhmela called “York Town.”

The project includes private housesvillas, an aparthotel, a spa center, a shopping and business center, picnic and children’s entertainment areas, and bicycle lanes. Alongside the surrounding forest, 40% of the project is dedicated to recreation area, while 6000 trees are planned to be planted within the project.

York Town is a 20-minute drive from Tbilisi and allows people to live close to the city, with fresh air, in a calm environment, with an interior and exterior designed with modern architecture and

a full service that makes life easier for York Town residents.

Most importantly, all materials used for construction are environmentally friendly, andall materials must meet the ISO standard. The second large-scale project, which is being carried out in parallel by York Towers and is almost completed, is Lisi View, a residential complex near Lisi Lake, with amazing views and ultra-modern architecture.

Everything related to the Lisi View project, from building materials and construction technologies to soil, water and air conditioning, aims to preserve the natural environment and a harmonious family life.

York Towers also owns investment lands in Bazaleti and Mtskheta. In the near future, York Towers will launch a new project in Batumi, near the sea, which will become a calling card for the company.

It should be noted that during the pandemic, the company did not suspend projects for a single day, due to sustainable capital and sound management,

respectively, York Towers, one of the largest employers in the Georgian market, did not leave any employees unemployed and completed significant stages

of construction.

York Towers is actively involved in charitable activities and social projects and plans to participate in international

events and forums, where in addition to the company’s potential, it will present an attractive investment climate in Georgia.

D-tech Seeking Talent!

D

-tech is a company that understands that the world is on the verge of a new technological revolution.

D-tech understands that now, as 20 years ago, any schoolchild can make a new google if only they have access to the appropriate tools.

We offer young talented people more than just a monthly scholarship.

Of course, as a commercial company, D-tech is looking for specialists in the areas we need, those that we consider promising.

In the future, we plan to expand the list of grants, and even if not all proposed research projects are suitable for the current programs, it is possible that they will be accepted in the future.

We strive to communicate with all people who share our values and our views on the development of technological progress.

Our partners: Regus, Russel Bedford, ITAG, and Relocater

8

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

How Georgia Can Enhance State Support Programs for Startups and MEs

BY THE PROJECT WAS LINKED TO THE NEED TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW THE SECTORS SUPPORTED BY STATE SUPPORT PROGRAMS. CAN YOU ELABORATE A BIT MORE ON THIS?

INTERVIEW BY THE PMCG TEAM

F

ollowing is an interview with Davit Jijelava, Consultant at Policy and Management Consulting Group (PMCG), as part of the project entitled ‘Functional Analysis and Development of Roadmap for State Support Programs,’ which was implemented from December 2020 to March 2021, as part of the Good Governance Fund (GGF) program, funded with UK aid from the UK government.

“Small- and medium-sized businesses are especially important for a country’s economic development, and this project aims to look at and analyze the state programs supporting such enterprises,” Jijelava tells us. “Every state has some kind of support system for its businesses to develop. And this is particularly impor-

Georgia already has some supporting mechanisms in place but, as is the case in many other areas, you need to look at the situation and evaluate what's happening to identify what can be improved

TELL US ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT.

the project, with PMCG starting the implementation of the project, which was divided into three phases between December 2020 and March 2021.

The first phase was a comprehensive diagnostic report aiming to provide a deep understanding of the situation on the ground, including the main players and key challenges. In the second phase, we evaluated how the system was performing, and also looked at the best international practices in this area. During the final phase, we produced a 5-year roadmap. We engaged in close and intensive consultations with all key stakeholders throughout the process, including the Prime Minister’s Office, Enterprise Georgia, Georgia’s Innovations and Technology Agency, the Rural Development Agency, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, the Parliament of Georgia, and the Investors’ Council.

The idea behind the project came from the Prime Minister’s Office, and the UK Embassy provided financial support for

ONE OF THE MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS MADE

tant for small and medium enterprises, as they can generate substantial employment, and can be very useful for the economy in general.

“It is important to have the kind of system in place where micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can develop and thrive. Georgia already has some supporting mechanisms in place but, as is the case in many other areas, you need to look at the situation and evaluate what's happening to identify what can be improved, so that the system ultimately becomes more effective,” he says.

“There are many good examples internationally that we can look at and draw some useful and relevant lessons from.

But it’s important to consider the local context as well, and make sure that whatever you take from other countries can actually work in Georgia too.”

There is no silver bullet that will solve all challenges and issues, so the key is to have a mechanism in place which continuously evaluates the system to ensure that help is provided where it’s most needed. While it is important to have clearly-defined long-term objectives, the best ways to achieve them will depend on many different factors that need to be accounted for.

This is all quite challenging, but certain steps have already been taken, and hopefully there will emerge a robust monitoring evaluation system that will help to develop this cycle, constantly bringing in new data and updating and modernizing the system in a way that corresponds to current needs. A key lesson that we have learned, especially in the last year or two with the ongoing pandemic situation, is that such systems need to be very resilient. Nothing can be set in stone here. New challenges will appear, and the more resilient this system is, the easier it will be to refocus it and address the real challenges rather than those that become less relevant over time.

QUITE OFTEN, STATE PROGRAMS ARE TOOLS FOR SMES TO ACCESS FINANCE, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR STARTUPS. HAS THE PROJECT MADE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS REGARD? We have looked at international examples and the big difference between, for instance, Estonia and Ireland, and Georgia, is that the state support programs in the first two countries view SMEs as long-term partners. They realize that access to finance is one of the biggest issues these enterprises face, so they provide equity to address that challenge. But it's not just equity, it’s a whole package tailored to the needs of that specific startup. This entails long-term coopera-

tion and can involve different kinds of support, such as trainings, capacity development, financial guarantees, grants, concessional loans, or a mixture of some of these. Startups often need to be guided through this process and the difficulties they face at different stages of their development will likely differ from one enterprise to the next. Indeed, their needs are likely to be different and context-specific.

That's what the government system needs to be prepared for: to design packages that will help startups at different stages.

The whole ecosystem of startups in Georgia is quite new. According to the startups themselves, there is a lack of information or a mismatch because there are some investors on one hand who might want to invest in startups, but don't really know how to. And at the same time there are some startups who cannot find or attract investors. When we talked to project beneficiaries, startups usually sought more opportunities to attend networking events to establish connections with potential investors. As people learn more about how this ecosystem can work and what benefits it can bring, it is more likely that their interest will grow among investors, both local and international. However, we have not quite reached that point yet.

WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY BENEFICIARIES TO MAKE THESE PROGRAMS MORE EFFECTIVE? We had eight focus groups and undertook a survey of beneficiaries. This was a diverse group, with many different kinds of beneficiaries. One of the key topics during the discussions was that the main instrument to support SMEs was subsidized loans implemented through banks, meaning there was not much of an individual approach.

According to these groups, the support that SMEs often need is a kind of package, which should comprise of more than simply subsidized loan support. Instead, it should be seen more like a long-term journey, offering different kinds of support at different stages of MSME development. If we look at the examples of Ireland or Estonia, we see that most funds are actually directed toward capacity and leadership development. There are many things, especially at the beginning, that startups need to learn and improve on, and this is probably the best way to support such beneficiaries. But a system based on subsidized loans has its merits as well, particularly in the Georgian context.

Moving forward, we should look at where we want to be in, for example, five years. We should find what works best for Georgia. There are many useful international examples, and by adapting some of them to the local context, we may find a model that best fits us.

When we talked to project beneficiaries, start-ups sought more opportunities to attend networking events to establish connections with potential investors

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

9

Nova - 15 Years of Experience in the Georgian Market of Construction and Repair Materials

BY ARCHIL GELASHVILI. TRANSLATED

BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

I

n the Georgian reality, the construction-repair materials industry has become both progressive and competitive. The expansion of the development sector and the growing demand in this market have

pushed manufacturers and suppliers to move to a fundamentally different standard and follow trends. Clearly, establishing oneself as a leader in such a saturated space is not an easy task, and to achieve this, companies have to create and realize competitive advantages. Those who have been involved in construction and renovation, will have likely heard of the company ‘Nova,’ which, with its daring attitude, timely solutions, and competi-

tive offers, has earned the status of one of the leading players in the market.

Nova appeared on the Georgian market of construction and repair materials in 2006. Initially, the business started with five friends importing and selling building materials, which later led to the founding of one of the largest and fastestgrowing organizations.

Five years after the start of the operation, in 2011, Nova started producing materials itself and continues to actively modernize and expand the process to this day. The products produced by the company are presented in a wide range and include polyethylene tanks, roofing materials, plasterboard and metal profiles, water barriers, and various accessories. In exclusive representation, Nova cooperates with such brands as NIPPON PAINT Group: BETEK, FAWORI; SAINT GOBAIN Group: IZOCAM, RIGIPS; INGCO, and BIEN. In 2020, Nova opened three retail centers in Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, where more than 50,000 products are presented.

Production is an important driving force for the economic development of the country, and Nova is trying to contribute to this direction. Where, in the past, the inscription "Made in Georgia" did not deserve the benevolence of the consumer and often meant a lack of trust, today this trend is developing with positive dynamics. People are now attracted to products made in Georgia, especially when they are of high quality and competitive price.

That is why, since 2011, Nova makes sure to introduce and develop production lines. At the initial stage, the company started working on roofing materials of different colors, sizes, and shapes in the Tbilisi enterprise. Within a year, it also started to produce plasterboard profiles and accessories, and in 2014, the Batumi plant began production of polyethylene water tanks, paint, and plastering angles.

Nova expanded its production line of roofing materials again in 2015, and its gypsum board profiles in 2016 at its Batumi branch.

Since 2017, the company has made the production of gypsum-cardboard and metal-plastic profiles in line with European standards, and, due to the increase in market demand, the production line of polyethylene tanks has further

increased.

Today, Nova's products include more than 100 types of polyethylene tanks, siding and siding accessories, more than 30 types of roofing materials and accessories, and more than 40 types of plasterboard and metal profiles.

In 2020, Nova equipped its enterprises with new painting equipment, which tripled the existing productivity. Also last year, it started the production of accessories for drainage systems.

Georgian products made by Nova, as well as imported exclusive products, will be available to customers in three mega centers and online platforms across the country.

Taking care of customer satisfaction and improving the customer experience is the main vector of any successful business; however, success is largely on the shoulders of a company’s employees.

That is why Nova provides more than 600 people employed in the company with the opportunity for professional growth, motivation, and stimulation, and constantly takes care of creating acceptable, pleasant conditions for employees.

"Stimulating employee motivation in different ways and finding the correct ways is an inspiration in itself, because each person knows better what gives them the energy that is in harmony with their inner motivation,” says Edisher Khimshiashvili, General Director of Nova.

“In order for this motivation not to become counterproductive, we need to find a connection between their own values, work, and professional environment. The comfortable arrangement of workspaces for employees, the availability of leisure and ‘unloading’ spaces, various incentive rewards and bonuses, sports activities and entertainment events are all accepted practices which we actively use in Nova, but all this sometimes is still not enough to motivate."

As such, to increase the enthusiasm of employees and their productivity, to contribute to their professional growth, and to mark the need and value of their work, the company uses three ways: ● Employees are actively involved in the operations of the company and no one restricts their freedom in decision making; ● They are able to enhance self-efficacy by using the transparency of the results

SOCIETY

EU Steps up Vaccine Support in Eastern Partnership Countries

O

n 10 August, the European Commission increased its assistance package to deploy safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in the Eastern Partnership from €40 million to €75 million. This additional funding will speed up the vaccination campaigns in the six Eastern partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.

With this new €35 million assistance package, the EU seeks to substantially increase access to vaccines in the Eastern Partnership region, facilitating vaccine sharing by the EU Member States and reimbursing the cost. This assistance complements the EU’s support to the COVAX initiative, the world’s facility to

ensure fair and universal access to COVID19 vaccines.

The first package of support worth €40 million was launched in February 2021 to strengthen preparedness and local readiness for safe and effective vaccination of the population, in partnership with the World Health Organization. EU support included training of health managers and medical staff involved in the vaccination campaign, key logistical support for the delivery and handling of the vaccines and supplies, vaccination data and safety monitoring, communication and community engagement, as well as support for the development of a digital COVID certificate.

“The EU is determined to support our Eastern neighbors to speed up vaccina-

tion as this will be decisive for ending the pandemic and launching the socioeconomic recovery of the region. We care for our partners,” Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi said. The newly adopted programme is part of Team Europe’s global COVID-19 response and builds on the joint efforts with the Member States and the EU cooperation with the WHO. The EU and WHO are working together on the €35 million Solidarity for Health Initiative in the Eastern Partnership, providing substantial medical supplies across the region, including over 11 million items of personal protective equipment, 12,000 lab kits, over 1,500 ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and pulse oximeters, and over 20,000 PCR testing kits.

Source of photo: European Union

achieved and the correct feedback; ● The company trusts the competence of its employees and creates a work environment where the individual achievement of any professional is properly valued.

This is a small list of the tools that Nova’s management team uses to stimulate the professional motivation of its employees, but these three approaches help people build closer ties with the company and perceive themselves as members of a larger family.

The company Nova aimed to create the best online store in 2021, andare actively working on it. On the Nova online platform, aside from construction and repair materials, all the products that one can find in the mega centers are presented.

Khimshiashvili told us about the dynamics of the company's digital channel development and the importance of working in this direction.

“The Nova team works on a daily basis to improve our website. We want to offer online visitors the products they want, which will be combined with comprehensive digital content, photos, and videos. First of all, we try to make our page simple, fast, sophisticated, and customized. We think this is the most important thing,” he says. “Our goal is to make our potential customers loyal to the site, to offer them any information they need, and to make online shopping a pleasant experience.”

The Nova online store combines both construction and repair materials, as well as a wide selection of different household products in one space. As a company states, this platform will greatly simplify the process of repair and improvement for customers. Nova tries to satisfy the need of its customers as much as possible, to offer them fast delivery service and high-quality products without their needing to leave home.

“We monitor customer behavior and take into account their needs, assessments, and feedback. Although our online store has only recently appeared in the digital space, we have gained a lot of loyal and satisfied customers, and we believe that we will continue to do so in the future. Our team will do everything for continuous growth and development,” Khimshiashvili noted.

10

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY

AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

Witnessing the Fall of the USSR

Continued from page 1 His hands and ears—surely not real! The concrete jungle of apartment blocks in this huge city. The sombreness of people's public faces, then their deep friendliness when you got to know them at home.

Great Russian Soul. My first taste of Soviet vanilla ice cream in those "stakanchiki" (integral cones), on a hot day when we needed it most—so creamily delicious! Solzhenitsyn, whose writings had inspired me to go to the USSR in the first place, peering over my shoulder from his American exile and warning me to remember the Gulag Archipelago, not yet sunk. Daring to take a single photograph of the ominous Big Lubyanka, which I found—thanks again to Aleksandr Isayevich—next to a huge toy shop. The speed of the Metro, unparalleled and so efficient for getting across the city, though best avoided at Chas Pik (Rush Hour). The feeling of being under something heavy, yet revelling in the strangeness of it all, privilege of seeing and experiencing it as was. Needing to be shepherded around lest we get lost, not knowing a word of Russian.

I had left Canada in late December 1989, and was staying with relatives in England when the Romanian Revolution erupted. Christmas Day, the world watching the executions of Ceaucescu and his wife, live on TV. Surreal. The machine guns cut them down while they were speaking, not so much pleading as simply protesting the audacity of it all. Then

the rest of the Eastern Bloc came tumbling down, one country after another abandoning what Moscow had forced upon them. But we had not dared to imagine that it could happen in the USSR, Communism's Ground Zero, as soon as it did. Nor could we fathom the changes to come in the world from then until now. Who could?

August 19th was our month’s secondlast day in the great old capital. That afternoon, I had taken the Metro towards the center of Moscow, alone for once, to finish off my last roll of film before we left. I got more than I bargained for.

Crowds of people outside Red Square, itself blocked from public entry on all sides by buses. Tanks at various locations near the Square as well. Some people listening to those addressing them through megaphones, perched on top of whatever could give them some height advantage, especially any kind of vehicle.

For the first time, I was seeing not the USSR's gold hammer/sickle on its red background, but other flags which I didn't recognize: Russia’s tricolour, those of the other Union Republics. I couldn’t follow any of the Russian, but another foreigner told me the gossip—Gorbachev taken ill in his Black Sea dacha, hardliners taking over, sick of his attempted reforms to their precious pure communism. He said to take care where I was shooting. But others there were also photographing. I knew it was history, and that I'd better take my chances, not miss the moment, even though news reportage has never been my strongest

genre to shoot. I continued, remembering but having to ignore the video cameras mounted on poles turning silently this way and that, Big Brother watching us as we recorded.

Instead of needing to finish that film, I now needed to buy more, which I was able

somehow to do in a nearby shop. Just one more roll was all I had money for.

Outside Manezh Square, some people were standing atop a trolleybus which they had removed from its overhead wires.

Great vantage point, and also a useful place from which to speak. How I wish now that I understood Russian then! Others were arguing with the tank commanders who, unknown to me, were caught between following orders—disperse this mess however you have to—and avoiding a bloodbath. Mercifully, they took the latter path at last, or it could have been horrendous. There were only a handful of deaths recorded in all, accidental. It could have been so much worse.

Someone running through the crowds distributing leaflets as he went, or rather letting people grab them out of his hands.

I acquired one—a photocopied communiqué from above, from the coup's engineers.

I followed the crowds for a while, to stay with the action. No idea where we were headed, but our goal as it happened was the so-called Russian White House,

in rural Austria discussing the events when the phone rang. News: It was over!

Yeltsin had saved the day! Hard-line communism had lost! Euphoria the world over, especially in the USA: too soon, blissfully ignorant of what was coming.

A week or so later I had my film developed in the UK, and ten sets of prints made from the main black and white roll of the coup. Those, and a few colour slides, were my record of that fateful day.

My photographic mentor made a few prints by hand for me in his darkroom as well. Several frames appeared in a local paper, with a brief story.

For months, back in Canada, I was obsessed with collecting all local newspaper stories of the new order emerging in the soon to be FORMER USSR. This entity indeed by order of Gorbachev ceased to exist on December 25th, 1991, along with his own job. The 15 Union Republics automatically became sovereign states; subunits with a big grudge like Chechnya were less successful, and chaos flourished alongside a few simultaneous wars and the growing hyperin-

where someone had unrolled a huge Russian flag to cheers Yeltsin.

Somehow, I managed a call to our host family from a pay phone (no mobile phones in those days!), and told my friends what was happening. They found me early that evening, as the light was failing and my ability to take any more photographs was ending, with no flash.

We spent a bit more time together there, then went home for our last evening in the Soviet Union, full of questions and uncertainties.

The next morning, August 20th, all was too calm. We flew out to Budapest on schedule. I had nine rolls of film from our month in my trouser pockets, and was ready to do whatever I could not to have them x-rayed or taken away at Sheremetyevo Airport. Neither happened, and I felt like my pockets were full of gold. They were handing out copies of yesterday's Pravda on the plane... the last one went to the person sitting next to me. Fool for not being bold enough to beg a copy of that historic edition from anyone!

Budapest after austere Moscow was the West.

August 21st: we were with other friends

flation. The sowing was over, but the reaping must follow.

I returned to Russia to live, in Petersburg, September 1992, where I based myself until mid-1999. It was there during ethnographic studies that I first discovered the other peoples of the former Soviet Union... and the Caucasus... and the Svans, whose description was exactly the reason I found myself itching to visit Georgia. Then I moved first to Baku and then to Tbilisi, with 4 days in Svaneti part of the package. Early on in those Russian years, my precious coup 35mm film rolls—and many others, all of course irreplaceable—were stolen from my Petersburg apartment, leaving me with only the prints which I had had made, and the handful of slides.

Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer and photographer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/ groups/SvanetiRenaissance/ He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY AUGUST 20 - 26, 2021

11

Mass Vaccination Center Set up in the Hualing Plaza Area

BY ANA DUMBADZE

A

Mass vaccination center has been st up in the Hualing Plaza Area, offering 10 vaccination rooms which can accommodate the vaccination of up to 4000 people daily.

Hualing has been distinguished by high social responsibility since the day of its establishment on the Georgian market.

Even in the context of the global pandemic caused by Covid-19, this is one of the largest investors in the country, dedicated to contributing to public life.

Since June, organized by EMS ("Express Medical Service") and supported by Hualing Plaza, a mass vaccination center has been running in the shopping center, which operates using European standards and experience.

The Hualing Shopping Mall covers an area of 110,000 square meters, has 8,000 to 10,000 parking spaces and provides efficient and safe management of large flows of visitors. The vaccination area

is equipped with 4 escalators, 8 elevators, 4 bathrooms, 5 emergency exits, and is fully adapted for people with disabilities.

There are 10 vaccination rooms in this center of mass vaccination, which serves the vaccination of up to 4000 people. In case of special need, the space also offers the possibility of vaccinating 6000 to 8000 visitors.

It should be noted that in order to facilitate vaccinations for citizens, it is possible to register on the spot, without prior booking, for all four vaccines distributed in Georgia- Pfizer, Sinopharm, Sinovac and AstraZeneca.

Representatives of the Ministry of Health, the NCDC, the WHO Regional Office and the Medical Regulatory Agency visited the Hualing Mass Vaccination Center several times, and their epidemiological or other risk management requirements were carefully considered. For added security, there is a resuscitation room in the vaccination center fitted with the necessary equipment and run under the supervision of qualified doctors.

The geographical location of Hualing

Plaza is considered to be one of the transportation hubs of the city, which makes this place convenient for the residents of any district of Tbilisi.

The Hualing Mass Vaccination Center is currently vaccinating the following groups: Tbilisi City Hall (including Boards, LLCs, IPs), the MIA, Georgian Railway, international missions and embassies, employees and family members of the Georgian Distributors Association, the Rugby Union, the Georgian National Football Team, and citizens registered through booking.moh.gov.ge and those who turn up on the spot.

We talked to the General Director of Hualing, Tiko Maghradze, about the involvement of the Hualing Group in solving Georgia’s pandemic challenges and the importance of their vaccination center.

"Hualing Group has been making a significant contribution to the fight against Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic,” she tells us. “As soon as the pandemic was declared, the hospital in the Hualing area was converted into a Covid Hospital. We have been offering our partners- enterprises and businesses that have commercial spaces in the Plaza area, preferential terms tailored to them since the beginning of the pandemic.

“However, we did not stop at the moratoriums, and decided to establish a mass vaccination center in Hualing Plaza in cooperation with Express Medical Service, which will help the state and the population in the process of vaccination.

“Everything in this space is set up for the full implementation of the vaccination process. The mall area was specially selected to better accommodate and manage the flow of vaccination seekers, while keeping the environment as safe as possible,” she notes. “Vaccination is available here with both pre-booking and on-site registration. The Hualing

Plaza administration does its best to facilitate the processes, both in terms of vaccination, as well as structurally and operationally. Currently, the center is expanding, as the number of people seeking vaccination has increased significantly. All vaccines represented in Georgia are available at the center. In terms of increasing space and flow management, we try to create the best conditions for the medical service to provide the highest quality services.”

For more details, we spoke to Giorgi Bolghashvili, Director of Express Medical Service.

“When we started looking for a place for the first mass vaccination center in Georgia to enhance the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, naturally, first of all, we discussed cooperation with Hualing,” he tells us. “In addition to being a highly socially responsible company, it has always supported partnerships with the Georgian business sector through innovative approaches. The advantage of Hualing compared to other locations was quite notable. Here, we found a safe and ventilated building with huge spaces, a large parking lot and, most importantly, a positive attitude from the company’s management towards the project. Hualing offered us the appropriate space and

the right to use the infrastructure of the building at a mere symbolic price.”

The Hualing mass vaccination center is the only one where anyone wishing to be vaccinated can be vaccinated with any of the four types of vaccines available in Georgia at this stage.

“In general, the purpose of mass vaccination centers, in addition to handling a large flow of people, is to relieve medical centers from the routine vaccination process, where, at the expense of free space and staff, Covid-bed services will become more efficient,” Bolghashvili notes. “It is a process where there are three participants: the state, the business sector, and the population, whose joint responsibility should lead to results. In our case, there is maximum support from the Ministry of Health and the NCDC. Even during the period of restriction of public transport, according to the decision of the Coordination Council, the population wishing to be vaccinated can be picked up from several locations with special buses and brought to the Hualing vaccination center.”

Hualing and EMS have already planned a number of joint social and marketing activities, the main goal of which is to motivate the population to be involved in the vaccination process.

CULTURE

Georgian Film 'What We See When We Look at the Sky' Nominated as Best Film at Fipresci

BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

A

lexandre Koberidze’s film 'What We See When We Look at the Sky' has been nominated for the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) as the 2021 Best Film.

The International Film Critics Awards annually nominates the best film of the year. This year’s list

of nominees features: “Nomadland” (Chloé Zhao), “Another Round” (Thomas Vinterberg), “Quo Vadis, Aida?” (Jasmila Zbanic), 'What We See When We Look at the Sky' (Alexandre Koberidze) “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” (Radu Jude).

The winning f ilm will be announced on September 17 at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

PUBLISHER & GM

George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Natalia Chikvaidze

GEORGIA TODAY

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:

Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies

Alexander Koberia’s film was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.

'What We See When We Look at the Sky' was the first Georgian film to be included in the main competition category of the Berlin International Film Festival in 30 years, since, in 1993, Temur Babluani’s film “The Sun of the Sleepless” was awarded a Silver Bear there. Up until 2021, Georgian feature films had not been selected into the main competition of the festival.

Journalists: Ana Dumbadze, Vazha Tavberidze, Tony Hanmer, Emil Avdaliani, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Michael Godwin, Ketevan Skhirtladze Photographer: Aleksei Serov

Website Manager/Editor: Katie Ruth Davies Layout: Misha Mchedlishvili Webmaster: Sergey Gevenov Circulation Managers: David Kerdikashvili, David Djandjgava

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