ON the VOTE Free and Fair, Int'l Observers Say PAGE 2-6
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Issue no: 1097 • NOVEMBER 2 - 5, 2018 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... PM: Reforms in Georgia are FOCUS Developing the Economy ON THE VOTE Free and Fair, int'l observers say PAGE 2-6 NEWS PAGE 3 Justice Minister: Vashadze Wants Presidency to Pardon Saakashvili POLITICS PAGE 6 Public-Private Partnerships: an Effective Legal Tool for Attracting FDI Image source: Reuters BUSINESS PAGE 7 Minister of Doing Business 2019: Georgia Ranked 6th among Justice, EU 190 Countries & UNICEF Celebrate BY THEA MORRISON 3,000 Youth eorgia signifi cantly improved its who Benefi tted position in the Doing Business (DB) 2019 report of the World Bank from the Juvenile (WB), coming in at 6th place out of 190 countries, improving its Justice Reform Gposition by 3 points. Previously, Georgia was in the 9th position. SOCIETY PAGE 9 In DB 2019, Georgia's score improved by 1.24 points and reached 83.28 points. Previously, FGB’s Scholarship Georgia’s score was 82.04 points. Moreover, with its score, Georgia exceeds the Presentation & Gala Concert average regional score - 72.3. DB measures regulations affecting 11 areas of Held at Griboedov the life of a business. Ten of these areas are Photo source: Bloomberg included in this year’s ranking on the ease of Georgia is making it easier to start a business. tors on business regulations and the protection CULTURE PAGE 15 doing business. Georgia’s scores in each fi eld “More than a quarter of economies did just of property rights that can be compared across are as follows: that in 2017/18. It now takes an average of 20 190 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. 1.Starting a business - 2 days and costs 23% of income per capita to start The Ease of Doing Top 10 countries are: 2.Dealing with construction permits - 27 a business, compared to 47 days and 76% of 1.New Zealand 3.Getting electricity - 39 income per capita in 2006. Thirteen of the top 2.Singapore 4.Registering property - 4 20 economies have at least one procedure that 3.Denmark 5.Getting credit - 12 can be completed online in half a day,” it says. 4.Hong Kong SAR, China 6.Protecting minority investors - 2 “Georgia –an early adopter of Doing Business 5.Korea, REP 7.Paying taxes - 16 and the second biggest reformer (after Rwanda) 6.Georgia 8.Trading across borders - 43 – has cut the amount of time to start a business 7.Norway 9.Enforcing contracts - 8 to 2 days,” Sylvia Solf, head of the World Bank 8.United States 10.Resolving insolvency – 60 Group’s Reform Advisory Unit said. 9.United Kingdom DB 2019 reads that the most popular reform in Doing Business presents quantitative indica- 10.Macedonia, FYR GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS NOVEMBER 2 - 5, 2018 Georgian Food Presidential Elections Celebrated in Germany Polling Stations Were ‘Free’ and ‘Fair’ BY AMY JONES nternational observers at the poll- ing stations during the presiden- tial elections on October 28 released their fi ndings this week. Supported by local translators, a Iteam of 26 observers from Silba, an ini- tiative for dialogue and democracy, monitored 116 polling stations in Tbilisi and 26 in Rustavi. Ranking polling stations on a scale from very bad to very good, the observ- ers found the voting procedures to be generally appropriate and in accordance with Georgian law. They rate 79% as Image source: Reuters very good, 20% as good and 1% as bad. ing station to be seated. station. In 79% of stations, election mate- No polling stations were described as Party-affi liated people were regularly rials were not available in minority lan- being very bad. observed to be present at polling sta- guages. Moreover, observers witness a Photo source: serious eats However, the observers did notice sev- tions. In at least 9 of the observed polls, homeless voter being denied the pos- appointed as the festival was not prepared eral instances when party observers the international observers reported sibility to vote as he lacked an address. BY AMY JONES for quite so many visitors. The festival present at the polling stations interfered seeing a group of people outside the The report concludes that the presi- shows how Georgian culture is becoming in the voting process. On three separate entrance “taking notes”. Third parties dential elections ‘were conducted in a popular around the world. The fi ve friends occasions, party observers interfered mentioned that they would call voters free, fair and transparent manner.’ The ctober 28, a Georgian food who organized the festival plan to open and argued in order to allow voters, who who didn’t attend to try and persuade most signifi cant irregularity was party- festival took place in Ham- a Georgian restaurant in Hamburg. were initially turned away from the poll- them to come and vote for a specifi c affi liated people taking notes. Although burg, Germany. Three Georgian restaurants can be found in ing station, to cast their vote. Further- party, although Silba found no conclusive not strictly illegal, it may show the pres- times more guests than cities from London to New York, and more, party observers even instructed evidence of this. sure applied to voters by certain parties. expected arrived to taste Vicenza to Kyiv. A restaurant in Singa- people on who to vote for on two occa- Polling stations could have been made Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Oclassic Georgian dishes such as Khinkali, pore even ran a Georgian menu this sions. Party observers also checked vot- more inclusive. Observers found that Natia Mezvrishvili reported that 15 indi- Adjarian Kachapuri, and Churchkhela, summer which was a great success. ers’ IDs, documenting the information, 42% of polling stations had challenging viduals were charged with election- among other dishes. The Georgian Cuisine Festival will take several times. In one such instance, the or no access for disabled people. When related violations. The presidential can- A mix of nationalities, including Ger- place again next year. Nikusha Javakh- party observer was reported to actively asked, a PSO explained that disabled didate will be decided in December in mans and Georgians, enjoyed 5 hours of ishvili, co-organizer, said, “we think we try to infl uence voters and ignoring people could apply to make sure they a second round of voting between Salome feasting. However, some guests left dis- will need a larger space in the future.” demands from the chairman of the poll- were assigned to an appropriate polling Zurabishvili and Grigol Vashadze. GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 2 - 5, 2018 NEWS 3 Mercy Tembon: Georgia's Economy Is Leading in Europe & Central Asia BY THEA MORRISON PM: Reforms in Georgia are ercy Tembon, Regional Director of the World Developing the Economy Bank, says that Georgia I would say - most prestigious interna- BY THEA MORRISON is the most credible tional ratings,” he added. economy of Europe The PM noted that government’s aim Mand Central Asia. is to make Georgia more effectively inte- Tembon made the statement during eorgian Prime Minister, grated in the world economy and to her visit to Tbilisi, while speaking about Mamuka Bakhtadze says transform Georgia into a regional leader the country’s progress in the Doing that the implemented and economic hub. Business 2019 report, where it takes the reforms in the country are “Annual improvement of country rat- 6th place among 190 countries in terms successful and they are ings and advancement of Georgia is a of ease of doing business. Gdeveloping the economy. pre-requisite that our country will become “Key reforms helping in the improve- “Our main goal is to make Georgia more an unconditional leader not only in the ment of ranking have been carried out effectively integrated in the world econ- Caucasus, but in the greater region in and entrepreneurs no longer need to omy. It is essential to transform Georgia terms of economic development and make a separate visit to the Revenue into a regional leader and economic hub. ease of doing business. Georgia is already Service for value added tax registration Otherwise, we will fi nd it hard to over- one of the most reliable economies in upon company registration. Similarly, come the economic challenges that we the world and we plan to further improve Georgia has improved the one-stop- face,” the PM stated at the joint press- our results. The vision of our govern- shop for business incorporation, allow- conference with Mercy Tembon, Regional ment is that Georgia should be in the ing businesses to start a company through Director of the World Bank. top 5 in all the international ratings,” he a single procedure. I would like to take “Reforms implemented this year and of cases to judges, which end in pub- Bakhtadze said that Georgia’s progress claimed. this opportunity to congratulate the planned for future will further advance lished judgments. It reduced its relative in the Doing Business 2019 report, where Bakhtadze thanked the economic team Government and the people of Georgia Georgia's position. It has become easier gap in the regulatory performance of it takes the 6th place among 190 coun- of the government for their work and for this performance. I encourage you to incorporate a business by cutting or starting a business,” she added. tries in terms of the ease of doing busi- contribution to the advancement of the to keep up the reforms and spirit to simplifying the post-registration pro- In DB 2019, Georgia's score improved ness, means a tremendous step has been country. move the ranking higher next year,” she cedures, tax registration, social security by 1.24 points and reached 83.28 points.