at Glance

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Location

•Imereti Region is located in the center of .

•It is the Transportation and Tourist Hub of Georgia

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Area and Population

Population - 535 700 ≈

Luxemburg

Area - 11 379 km²

≈

Montenegro The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Administrative Division

✓ Administrative Center – , where Georgian Parliament is located ✓ Municipalities 12 ✓ Communities 161 ✓ Villages 544

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Transport Network

European route E 60

King David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Distances from Kutaisi

From To Distance

Kutaisi - Capital 220 km - Seaside 130 km - Seaport 102 km

Sarpi - Border 160 km with Strasburg 3000 km Brussels 3661 km

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Flight Connections from Kutaisi International Airport

From To Kutaisi Berlin Barcelona London Moscow Milan Warsaw Prague Budapest Paris Athens Munich Minsk Dortmund The Saloniki Vilnius Katowice

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti 2. Economy

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Natural Resources of the Region Economic potential of the region

Baghdati

• Quartz sand for glass production - 11236000 t. • Brick earth - 227000 m3 • Quarts spar sand- - 51736000 m3 • Fresh water- 129600 m3 • Marble like limestone- 367000 m3 • Brick earth - 6935000 m3 • Fresh water - 578800 m3 • Mineral water (balneo therapy) - 153 m3

Samtredia • Sand - 1540000 m3 3 • Brick earth - 1329000 m3 • Limestone- 69747000 m • - 1682300 m3 • Fresh water- 136000 m3 Sandstone • Teschenite - 2523000 m3

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Natural Resources of the Region

Terjola • Limestone- 35756000 m3; 155158000 t. • Limestone- 13507000 m3 • Plasma- 3760000 t. • Freshwater- 442000 m3 • Spongolite- 15545000 t. • Mineral water (balneo therapy) - 329 m3 • Brick earth - 331000 m3. • Sand for cement- 52070000 t. • Breccia- 393000 m3 • Fresh water- 298000 m3 • Mineral water (balneo therapy) - 415 m3 Tskaltubo • Calcite- 5529000 t. • Basalt- 7797000 m3 • Basalt- 8637000 t. • Bentonite clay - 12290537 t. 3 • Limestone- 45141000 m • Limestone_ 2009000 m3 3 • Quarts spar sand- 59496000 m • Brick earth - 425000 m3 3 • Marble like limestone- 748000 m • Tuff- 3417000 m3 3 • Brick earth - 5880000 m • Breccia - 5973300 m3 3 • Fresh water- 280000 m • Fresh water- 438000 m3 The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Natural Resources of the Region Economic potential of the region

Khoni

3. • Basalt- 6490000 m3. • Diorite - 69506000 m • Natural paint (Mummy) - 437000 t. • Marbled limestone- 4342000 m3. • Calcite- 553000 t. • Onyx - 470 m3. • Limestone- 187678000 m3. • Granite- 267397 00 m3. 3. • Brick earth- 3683000 m • Limestone - 10429000 m3. • m3. Fresh water- 407000 • Marble like limestone- 709000 m3. • Marble - 4440000 m3. Zestafoni • Quarts spar sand - 3408000 t. • Fresh water- 188000 m3. • Fire resistant clay - 2042000 m3. • Marbled limestone- 250000 m3. • Granite- 36394000 m3. • Ceramic clay- 257000 m3. • Limestone - 534000 m3. • Pegmatite- 3611000 m3. • Plasma - 359000 t. • Brick earth- 3233000 m3. • Fresh water- 298000 m3. The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Production Value and Type of Economic Activity in 2016

Activities Mln. GEL Fishing 0.8 Education 6.1 Agriculture, hunting and forestry 7.7 Community, social and personal service 70.4 activities Transport and communication 22.9 Electricity, gas and water supply 45.2 Hotels and restaurants 32.4 Real estate, renting and business activities 48.3 and Quarrying 78.1 Health and social work 88.2 Construction 133.6 Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor 1086.9 vehicles and personal and household goods Manufacturing 757.8

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Distribution of Population by Economic Status in 2016

Unemployed - 40.800 10.9% Not-identified worker- 1600 0.4% Hired - 108,900 28.9%

Self- employed-225.400 59.8%

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Prices of economic resources (including VAT)

✓Electricity - 0,085 $ (kW) ✓Water- 1,9 $ (m3) ✓Natural gas- 0,31 $ (m3) ✓Construction fee - 0,44 $ (1 m2)

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Taxes

✓VAT - 18% (Export is taxed at a zero rate) ✓Income tax - 20% ✓Profit tax - 15% (Reinvested profit is not taxed!) ✓Property tax- 1% ✓Excise - differentiated

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Hualing Free Industrial Zone (FIZ)

Territory in the city of Kutaisi with a special tax-free regime.

• Since 16 October 2015, Hualing Free Industrial Zone has started operating in Kutaisi. Planed investment amounts to over 40 mln. GEL;

• The Free Industrial Zone is located on 36 ha, license life time equals to 30 year (until 2045).

• The main profiles of operations are: Timber recycling, Furniture and Paper production. Furthermore Hualing group is open for cooperation to invest in light industry

• Profit gained by an international enterprise from an activity carried out in FIZ is exempt from profit tax.

• FIZ incorporated entities are exempt from property tax.

• No VAT applies to goods produced in other countries and imported into the FIZ.

• Supply of goods/services among enterprises of FIZ is VAT exempt.

• No Customs duty applies to goods produced in other countries and imported into the FIZ.

• The export of goods produced in the FIZ within Georgian territory is free from customs duty.

• No foreign exchange controls, trade barriers of quotas.

• No restrictions on capital repatriation. The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Business Support Programs

✓Invest in Georgia http://www.investingeorgia.org/en ✓Produce in Georgia http://qartuli.ge/ ✓Enterprise Georgia http://enterprisegeorgia.gov.ge/en/home ✓Host in Georgia http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/hotel-industry-incentive/ ✓Start-up Georgia http://startup.gov.ge/geo/home ✓Film in Georgia http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/film-in-georgia/ ✓Micro & Small Business support http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/micro-and-small-business/ ✓Mountainous Regions Development http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/mountain-development/ ✓Plant The Future http://apma.ge/projects/read/ ✓Agro-production Promotion http://apma.ge/projects/read/agricultural_industry/ ✓Preferential Agro Credit Project http://apma.ge/projects/read/agro_credit/ ✓Co-financing Agro Processing & Storage Enterprises http://apma.ge/projects/read/grant/

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti საერთაშორისო სავაჭრო ურთიერთობები

✓Through free trade agreements (DCFTA; EFTA) Georgia has access to the 900- million markets, which are not taxed, including: Turkey, EU and CIS.

✓DCFTA enables Georgia to gradually receive 3 out of 4 freedoms of EU’s internal market: free movement of goods, services and capital. The fourth freedom - free movement of labor – is promoted by visa liberalization process.

✓During the ongoing year free trade agreement will be signed with China.

სახელმწიფო რწმუნებულის–გუბერნატორი ს ადმინისტრაცია იმერეთში Partnership Fund

✓ Established in 2011 ✓ 100% State owned ✓ Fitch rating "BB-“ (Outlook Stable) ✓ Total Equity Value –$1.4 bln ✓ Total Assets -$3 bln

Priority Sectors ✓ Energy ✓ Agribusiness ✓ Real Estate and Tourism ✓ Manufacturing ✓ Infrastructure and Logistics

www.fund.ge The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Banks Operating in Imereti Region

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti International Cooperation

•In 2016 Imereti region received observer status at the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and from 2017 Imereti region became a full-fledged member of the AER;

•Imereti Region is twinned with the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region of Poland, Vidzeme Region of Latvia, Hungarian Vas county and Poltava Region of Ukraine;

•Currently, negotiations are underway to twin Imereti with the Czech Zlin Region, to be finished this year;

•With the active support of the Administration of the State Representative- Governor in Imereti, all 12 municipalities of the region befriended with the different municipalities from the Europe;

•Imereti Region has become a member of European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA) quite recently. The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti 3. Culture and Education

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Kutaisi – Ancient Capital of

•In Argonautica, a Greek epic poem about Jason and the Argonauts and their journey to Colchis, author Apollonius Rhodius considered Kutaisi their final destination as well as the residence of King Aeetes.

•Golden Fleece is depicted on the coat of arms of the Kutaisi Municipality. The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti UNESCO World Heritage Monuments

Bagrati Cathedral – XI century

Gelati Monastery Complex – XII century

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Universities

Akaki Tsereteli State University ✓ Established in 1933 ✓ Number of students: more than 10.000 ✓ Faculties of Arts, Social Sciences, Exact and Natural Sciences, Pedagogic, Medicine, Technical http://atsu.edu.ge/eng/ Engineering, Technological Engineering, Maritime Transport, Agrarian, etc.

✓New Technological University will be established in Kutaisi within the coming years, which will become a regional education and research hub by building the largest, modern university complex in the Caucasus. University City will be spread over 140 Ha of land in the outskirts of Kutaisi and will be able to receive 60,000 students. ✓Academic and research programs as well as the organizational structure and development plan for Georgia’s new university complex in Kutaisi will be developed in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti 4. Tourism

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Tourism in Imereti

✓Tourism is the fastest growing economic field in Imereti ✓There are more than 1200 historical and natural monuments in Imereti ✓≈1.360.000 tourists visited Imereti in 2016, 41% foreign tourists among them ✓54 hotels, 65 hostels, 136 guest houses just in Kutaisi ✓Hotel Best Western Kutaisi was opened in 2017 ✓In 2018 Courtyard Marriott will be opened as well in Kutaisi

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Tourism in Imereti

Dinosaur’s footprints at the Sataplia Resort

Prometheus Cave is located 20 km away from Kutaisi. 1600 meters route and the boat ride along the underground river.

The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti Spa and Balneology Resorts

Sairme – Bagdadi Municipality Nunisi –

Spa – Tskaltubo Municipality Spa – Tskaltubo Municipality The State Representative-Governor’s Administration in Imereti