NEWS
GEORGIA TODAY JANUARY 21 - 27, 2022
3
IDP Protest at Living Conditions Leads to Suicide Image source: guardian.ng
PM: 1 mln Vulnerable Georgians to Get Increased Power Tariff Subsidized by Gov’t
A
Source of photo: publika.ge
O
n January 16, 52-year-old Zurab Chichoshvili, an Internally Displaced Person from Abkhazia living in the building of old sanatorium Kartli in Zgvisubani settlement, Tbilisi, committed suicide, jumping out of the building in protest at being forced to live in such conditions. The Ministry of IDPs, Labor, Health, and Social Affairs says the IDPs living in the former sanatorium will receive new living spaces in 2022. IDPs living in the sanatorium have been protesting living in unbearable conditions for a long time, asking for an alternative location, as the building is in a state of disrepair and living there is dangerous. The Ministry of Health responded to the tragedy by noting: “the decision of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, that IDPs living in the former sanatorium Kartli will receive new housing unconditionally in 2022.” Public Defender of Georgia, Nino Lomjaria, released a statement noting “based on legislation, long-term resettlement of IDPs relies on a scoring system based on certain criteria. Exceptions to this rule are the buildings that are proved to be ruining by an expert report, which makes the resettlement of IDPs possible without points system, as a priority. Despite this provision, it is unfortunate
that many internally displaced families still have to live in such conditions. According to the latest data available to us, there are up to 90 facilities threatening life and health in the country. It should also be noted that the Agency for Refugees, Eco-Migrants and Livelihoods does not check the sustainability of buildings on its own initiative, which is why their number may be even higher. In recent years, the Public Defender had examined the rights situation of IDPs living in the former sanatorium building Kartli and found that the Agency for Refugees, Eco-Migrants and Livelihoods unreasonably refused to check the technical sustainability of the building (to conduct a relevant inspection). As a result, on December 21, 2020, the Public Defender addressed the Agency with a recommendation and requested a technical sustainability inspection of the building. The expert opinion confirmed the existence of an environment that poses an increased risk to life and health. According to our information, at this stage, the IDPs living in the Kartli building have received an administrative promise to be provided with long-term housing as soon as possible. Recently, part of the ceiling in the building entrance collapsed, which worsened the situation and pushed the IDPs to hold protests to demand the immediate provision of longterm housing. They connect this circumstance with the suicide of the IDP. According to the Agency, IDPs were
offered several housing options: temporary rent (provided by the local government), purchase of a house selected by an IDP (1 m2 of living space in the capital is equivalent to $550 in national currency, while the apartment area is determined according to the number of family members), or waiting for completion of the construction of apartments purchased by the State. The IDPs did not accept the offers, expressing distrust of the alternative of providing rent before long-term resettlement. In particular, they fear that the rental provision will be terminated after a certain period. Due to the current situation, the Public Defender of Georgia calls on the Agency for Refugees, Eco-Migrants and Livelihoods to provide IDPs living in the former sanatorium building Kartli with individual information about the offers and the specific deadlines for their implementation, as well as to use all the levers at its disposal to resettle IDPs from the damaged facilities containing an increased risk to life and health as soon as possible, and in order to increase the IDPs’ confidence in the process, in case they choose to rent, to issue an administrative promise to provide them with rent before the provision of long-term housing. At the same time, the Public Defender of Georgia once again calls on the Agency for IDPs, Eco-Migrants and Livelihoods to prioritize the resettlement of IDPs living in the demolishing facilities in order to avoid dire consequences.”
Pharmaceutical Market Opens to Turkey, Medicines to be Cheaper, PM Says
significant part of the population of Georgia – about one million people – will get an increased power energy tariff subsidized by the Government, – Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, said Monday. He noted the initiative will apply to target groups: households with 150,000 and less social subsistence points, which is around 1 million people.
“The referred program has existed since the dawn of the pandemic and was valid for two years. This program of subsidy ended in January, 2022. But, we have decided to extend the program for those groups that are most vulnerable. These target groups will get the increased power energy tariff subsidized by the Government. This initiative will be enacted from January and remain valid for the entire year,” Garibashvili said.
Person who Forced German Tourist to Pay 1000 GEL for a Bottle of Beer Arrested
T
he officers of Old Tbilisi Police Main Division under the Tbilisi Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested an employee of a Tbilisi club, E.Ch. (DoB 1980) for coercion. The investigation established that on January 14, the employee of a club in the central district of Tbilisi forced a guest of the same club, a German tourist, to pay a much larger sum instead of the actual cost of the beer
ordered, in particular, he forced the tourist to pay 1000 GEL for a bottle of beer. As a result of operative and investigative activities carried out within the frames of the ongoing investigation, the police sealed the mentioned club, and later, employee E.Ch. was arrested. The investigation is underway under Article 150 I part of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which stipulates coercion – unlawful restriction of a person’s freedom of action.
BY ANA DUMBADZE
G
eorgia has opened its pharmaceutical market to Turkey, which will lower the prices of medicines, announced Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced Monday at a Cabinet meeting, with the decree coming into force the same day. “I hope importers will import highquality medicines from Turkey, which will significantly reduce the prices of medicines in Georgia very quickly. We will also develop a bill to better the situation even further,” he said. “I now want to ask the Minister of Health to set up a working group, to ask the relevant parliamentary committees to start working together, because a number of laws will need to be changed and this will help make medicines even
Roberta Metzola Elected President of the European Parliament
cheaper,” Garibashvili told the new health minister, Zurab Azarashvili. “The task should be to monitor prices
and control the quality. Quality medicine must be provided to our population,” the PM said.
R
oberta Metzola has been elected President of the European Parliament. European Council President Charles Michel congratulated Roberta Metzola on her election. “I congratulate Roberta Metzola on the
new presidency of the European Parliament. The European Parliament is the heartbeat of our European democracy. I look forward to working with you,” Michel addressed her. Former President of the European Parliament David Sassol, 65, passed away mid-January.
