Today news:

economics

AMOUNT OF DUES FROM GAMBLING BUSINESS MADE UP 17.1M LARI IN Q3

As Georgian Finance Ministry informs, 781 permissions were issued by gambling business regulation administration in January-September 2008, through which 17.1 million lari was paid to budget as dues.

Number of permissions increased by 71.3% compared with the same period of 2007, while amount of dues increased by 20.4%.

WB TO ISSUE THE SECOND TRANCHE FOR EAST-WEST HIGHWAY’S UPGRADE PROGRAM

As World Bank representation in Georgia informs, the second tranche ($20 million) in terms of East-West highway’s upgrade program will be issued after approval of the new Georgian governemnt.

Through this sum, road guards will be built on Tbilisi-Leselidze Senaki highway’s section of 20-21 km in length, says the representation office.

NEW SCHEME OF ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION MAY BE STARTED IN TBILISI FROM 2009

As Tbilisi City Hall announced, new scheme of road traffic regulation is expected to be introduced in Tbilisi in 2009.

According to the City Hall, traffic problems were studied on central roads of the city through the assistance of the World Bank.

business

ANOTHER COMPANY ACQUIRED WI-MAX LICENSE

As Georgian Communications Commission reports, JSC ClearStream Georgia acquired license for radiofrequencies’ use in 3.5 GHz range (is used for building WiMAX networks) at today’s auction.

JSC ClearStream Georgia expressed readiness to pay 9.3 million lari for license on 3497.5-3504.5 MHz and 3597.5-3604.5 MHz pair frequency strips, starting price of which made up 1.86 million lari.

TBILISI BRANCH OF ZIRAAT BANK TO BE ELEVATED TO A BANK

Tbilisi branch of Turkish Ziraat Bank will be reorganized into bank, which single owner will be Ziraat Bank, in November 2008.

The branch refrained to tell Sarke other forthcoming changes, saying only that the new bank will open a branch in Tbilisi by the end of 2008.

TURNING OF MICRO-FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION TBILBUSINESS INTO BANK IS DELAYED

Micro-financial organization Tbilbusiness told Sarke that its turning into a bank is delayed until spring 2009.

The company specified that meetings with the potential investors (Arab and Israeli groups) are planned to be held in that period, where a decision on control pack’s selling should be made.

ELIT ELECTRONICS OPENED A SHOP IN KAKHETI

Elit Electronics (chain of household appliances stores) opened today a new shop in Sagarejo (Kakheti region). The new trade center, where 10 local residents will be employed, is located on 300 square m.

EIGHTEEN MINING LICENSES ARE AUCTIONED

Georgian Economic Development Ministry announced auction on 18 mining licenses, total starting price of which makes up 232,426 lari.

The matter concerns detritus, clay, gypsum, limestone, basalt and tuff deposits in Akhalkalaki, Chokhatauri, Gardabani, Gori, Kaspi, Kharagauli, Khoni, Marneuli, Mestia, Ninotsminda, Rustavi, Tsalka and other districts.

LAND PLOT IN BATUMI IS AUCTIONED

Ajara Finance and Economy Ministry put up to term auction land plot with building in Batumi (King Parnavaz Str. 48) afresh.

LAST WEEK REVIEW

privatization & investment

FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING

It is known that power enterprises being natural monopolies are under constant rapt attention of the state that cares about its power security.

Georgian power system had not been fit to operate independently and for the past ten years of political independence the problem of natural gas and power supply has not been solved.

politics & society

THE WAR

The whole territory of Georgia, far beyond Tskhinvali region, is targeted by Russian aviation for bombardments. Vaziani near Tbilisi, Black Sea port of Poti, Senaki in Samegrelo region, Gori and others cities of Georgia are bombed.

Sarke