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On a Teen's Suicide Issue no: 1213 • DECEMBER 20 - 23, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Trump - the Third President in American History to be Impeached by the House POLITICS PAGE 5 Cristina Doros to Lead Visa FOCUS Business in the Caucasus BUSINESS PAGE 6 ON A TEEN'S Rooms Hotels – the Face of Modern Georgia SUICIDE BUSINESS PAGE 7 Luka Siradze's death rocks society and the Georgian justice system PAGE 4 First Ever Waste Expo Held in Georgia with the Support of the USAID/CENN WMTR II Program Energy, Agriculture, Industry & Waste the Main BUSINESS PAGE 8 Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Georgia Heritage Hotel and Suites – nergy tops the list of polluters in Georgia, accounting for more than Hotel Beyond Expectation half of the national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Agriculture, BUSINESS PAGE 9 industry and waste hold the next Ethree positions on the list with their contribu- tions having increased gradually in recent Embassy of the State years. Following the collapse of Soviet-legacy industries, Georgia currently produces three of Qatar to Georgia times less greenhouse gas emissions than in 1990. However, a slight increase has been Celebrates its Country’s observed in the last decade. These fi ndings are included in Georgia’s National Day Second Biennial Update Report to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change SOCIETY PAGE 12 (UNFCCC), prepared with the assistance from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility The Making of a Star: (GEF) and unveiled by the Government of Georgia on December 18. George Ergemlidze “Reporting to the UN Convention on Climate CULTURE PAGE 15 Change is an important national exercise,” said Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Nino Tandilashvili. “Georgia’s Georgia’s Art Palace among recent report reveals the trends in domestic emissions over a 25-year period, identifi es the European Museum of the needs and gaps, and helps the country move towards a climate-resilient society.” The report was presented at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel Tbilisi on December 18. Year Award Nominees Continued on page 2 Photo by Vladimir Valishvili/UNDP CULTURE PAGE 15 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS DECEMBER 20 - 23, 2019 Energy, Agriculture, 88 Re-auctions Announced within Project '100 Investment Offers to Business' Industry & Waste state has mobilized about 41 million GEL. BY ANA DUMBADZE The 100 investment has objects avail- the Main Sources able in the following locations: in of Greenhouse Gas Sighnaghi an estimated value 281,763 8 re-auctions were announced GEL (13,000 sq m); in Bakhmaro an esti- Emissions in Georgia in the framework of the gov- mated value of 2,537.400 GEL (12,588 ernment’s project “100 Invest- sq.m.), in Tbilisi, at 14 Gotua Street an Continued from page 1 ment Offers to Business”. estimated value 6,595.721 GEL (6 796 “2019 is a crucial year for the implemen- Bids will end on January 8. sq.m.). tation of the Paris Agreement, when all 8On November 29, the Ministry of The National Agency of State Property countries are updating their commitments Economy and the National Agency of Management says that new facilities will to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said State Property presented the list of 100 be added gradually to the privatization UNDP Deputy Head Anna Chernyshova. state-owned buildings the government list. “The UNDP will continue supporting is offering local and international busi- The project envisages holding of 100 Georgia in its efforts to set more ambi- nesses for privatization. parallel auctions and privatization of the tious goals and make further steps to a Since then, 26 have been sold and the property through simplifi ed procedures. greener and more sustainable economy.” Georgia has been submitting biennial reports to the UN Framework Conven- tion on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since EIB Approves EUR 15 mln Loan to JSC Liberty Bank 2016, aiming to capture the major national trends in GHG emissions and describe n December 17, the Euro- lending to Georgian SME’s on signifi - the mitigation measures undertaken in pean Investment Bank cantly better terms by, among other different sectors of economy. (EIB) and JSC Liberty Bank things, transferring the fi nancial advan- The recent Report developed in 2017- signed a Loan Agreement tage afforded to Liberty within the frame- 2019 includes an updated GHGs Inven- within the framework of work of EIB facility. Liberty will also tory and information on the implemented, Othe EU4Business Initiative. Funds under receive technical assistance to improve ongoing and planned mitigation policies this facility will be used to fi nance Small its SME lending practices and product and measures. It also describes a national and Medium Enterprises operating in offers under the Eastern Partnership framework for measurement, reporting Georgia. Technical Assistance Trust Fund. and verifi cation (MRV) to track GHG Following the change of ownership in “This is yet another major milestone emissions, climate fi nance and the impact Liberty Bank in 2017, the new manage- in the development of Liberty Bank and of mitigation actions. ment have embarked on an aggressive a very strong incentive for the manage- Among the challenges faced by Geor- business transformation strategy. Key ment team to deliver on our stated busi- gia in climate action, the Report points pillars of Liberty Bank’s new targets ness objectives,” said Tkhelidze, Deputy out fragmented legislation and institu- include: General Director of Liberty Bank. Liberty tional framework, insuffi cient domestic • Investing in the training of people to Bank is uniquely qualifi ed to promote fi nance and lack of quality research and provide the best possible client services; SME lending and EIB loan will deepen climate-friendly technologies. As a solu- • Promoting a customer focused busi- our ties with entrepreneurs throughout tion, it suggests establishing of a Climate ness model to improve retail, MSME and the country.” Change Committee to co-ordinate the Corporate customer needs; “I am confi dent that this partnership climate-related activities. • Building strong international partner- will help the Bank in achieving one its Georgia’s Second Biennial Update ships to promote best business practices key stated business objective, which is Report is a joint effort of a wide range in Georgia. to solidify its position in this very dynamic of stakeholders: government agencies, The new management believes that and important segment of the Georgian civil society, academic and educational Liberty Bank is well positioned to pro- Economy,” noted Irakli Rukhadze, Chair- ident commented. “As the EU bank, we the EIB and that we reach out to new institutions and international partners. mote fi nancial inclusion across the coun- man of the Board of Liberty Bank. are committed to supporting small and institutions as well. SMEs play a signifi - Submitted in June 2019, the Report try, given its unparalleled coverage of “Support to economic development and medium-sized businesses – but we need cant role in Georgia’s economy and our received positive feedback from the Georgia that extends to even the most smart, sustainable and inclusive growth the help of local partners to do so. I am transactions will pave the way for better UNFCCC Secretariat. The Report is remote locations of the country. EIB are a key priority of the EU’s work with happy that we are extending our coop- business prospects of those companies available on the UNDP website. Loan should enable Liberty to continue Georgia,” Lilyana Pavlova, EIB Vice-Pres- eration with a strong existing partner of and the country in general.” GEORGIA TODAY 4 NEWS DECEMBER 20 - 23, 2019 Luka Siradze’s Suicide Rocks Georgian Society & the Juvenile Justice System calling the incident “a tragedy for soci- BY TEA MARIAMIDZE ety because we again failed to protect a child’s life.” Lomjaria said her offi ce is studying the case from the very begin- uka Siradze, 15, who tried to ning and will continue to monitor the commit suicide after alleged ongoing investigation. pressure from police offi cers, Non-governmental Organization Geor- died on December 17 in Iash- gian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) vili Children’s Central Hos- is protecting the interests of the minor’s Lpital. family. GYLA claims that the juvenile The family of the minor claims the attempted suicide because of alleged juvenile was threatened at the Tbilisi psychological abuse committed by the police station in the presence of his staff of the investigative body. mother and forced to confess to the crime “The juvenile was forced to confess of vandalizing his former school, Green to the crime by means of psychological School, by spray-painting “F**k this life” abuse from the staff members of the on a wall there. investigative body who were investigat- Georgia’s Interior Ministry confi rmed ing the crime. They threatened him and that the minor spent only “3-4 minutes his brother and said that he would have alone” with one of the police offi cers to spend a long time in prison. The psy- before the beginning of the interrogation chological abuse and intimidation from Image source: Accent News as the minor “had a confl ict with his the police offi cers were so intense and Choloiani is accused at this stage is not torture or other cruel, inhu-mane or over the issue or the transparency of the mother and the police offi cer wanted to real that the juvenile fell ill during the enough in our view. Hopefully, other degrading treatment or punishment,” investigation. defuse the situation.” However, the Min- interview and requested medical atten- people will soon be identifi ed,” the law- reads the UNICEF statement. Gakharia specifi ed that “important istry excluded any psychological pres- tion.
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