David Gamkrelidze meets sports personalities

Presidential hopeful Davit Gamkrelidze met Georgian sportsmen and women at the central office of the Industrialists Party today.

He told them that sport had become politicized in Georgia: it was being used by Saakashvili and his allies for political purposes.

The presidential runner promised his audience that if he was elected, he would hold consultations with them to solve problems in the field of sport.

Also as part of his election campaign, Gamkrelidze met doctors of Tbilisi’s Zhordania Institute of Reproductive Health today, and briefed them on his manifesto and action plan. (Prime-News)



Georgian President to get salary increase from 2008

The salary of the President of Georgia will go up by GEL 700 to GEL 4 700 a month from 2008.

Papuna Petriashvili, the Deputy Minister of Finance, put the recommendation before parliament on Tuesday.

Recent amendments to the Tax Code—the amalgamation of social security payments and income tax (now running at 32 percent instead of 25 percent)—had necessitated the 1.7 percent increase, Petriashvili told MPs.

Civil servants’ salaries will also go up. (Prime-News)



State employment scheme to be launched on December 5

The 2007-2008 State Employment Scheme will be launched on December 5.

The Ministry of Labor, Healthcare and Social Welfare said the scheme would employ 100 000 people between 25 and 60. Under the government scheme, unemployed people will be offered three months’ professional training, and get a monthly allowance of GEL 200. Upon completion of the program, all trainees will be encouraged to apply for appropriate vacancies based on the experience and new skills they have acquired.

The Labor Ministry has set up a special hotline for potential trainees and employers.

About 100 companies are involved in the scheme. (Prime-News)



MPs wear ties to show solidarity with disabled

Georgian MPs will wear special ties and brooches for several days in order to express solidarity with people with disabilities.

Purple ties were distributed to the members of the Parliament of Georgia before the beginning of the plenary session yesterday, at the initiation of the parliamentary Committee on Healthcare and Social Welfare.

Gigi Tsereteli, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Healthcare and Social Welfare, said the government has achieved much for disabled Georgians and will continue to do so. (Prime-News)



CIS joint peacekeeping forces in Abkhaz conflict zone due to be rotated

The planned rotation of the CIS joint peacekeeping forces in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone will be carried out on December 05-10.

According to Russian news sources, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Diordiyev, an aide to the commander of CIS joint peacekeeping forces in the Abkhaz conflict zone, has confirmed around 600 servicemen will be rotated.

The rotation is in line with the May 14 1994 ceasefire agreement. (Prime-News)