Business Roundup
Prepared by Christina Tashkevich
Friday, May 16
AmCham holds monthly round table
Bridget Brink, chief of the political/economic section at the US Embassy in Georgia, told American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) members that the US is working hard to help Georgia resolve its territorial conflicts.
Last weekend US State Department travelled to Abkhazia to meet separatist officials.
Brink, who was speaking at the monthly round table on May 14, also noted the US government’s commitment to monitor the May 21 parliament elections.
Brink said several million dollars have been spent by the American government on training and other assistance related to the elections.
Other presentations during the meeting included Lasha Machavariani, the marketing director of Bagebey City Group. Machavariani provided an overview of the company's projects including Batumi Plaza and Park Place.
Dr. Giorgi Doborjginidze, the project director at Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing JSC also provided members with a project overview on Tbilisi Logistics City, a planned logistics park to be built three kilometers from Tbilisi International Airport.
World Bank Group and EBRD launch business environment survey in Georgia
The World Bank Group announced the launch of the fourth round of the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) on May 14.
It is a joint initiative of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank in Georgia.
For the first time International Finance Corporation (IFC) has joined the initiative and the survey will now cover issues specific to IFC’s advisory activities.
The objective of the survey is to obtain feedback from enterprises in client countries on the state of the private sector. Through interviews with 360 firms in the manufacturing and services sectors, the survey will assess the constraints to private sector growth and create business environment indicators that are comparable across countries.
Topics include the adoption of technology and innovation, competition, the qualifications of the workforce, access to financial services, infrastructure, and the impact of government regulations.
The research team began interviews in April, and preliminary results are expected in September 2008.
MCG signs second contract for road rehabilitation
Millennium Challenge Georgia Fund (MCG) signed a USD 33.1 million agreement with the second winner company of the international tender to participate in the Samtskhe–Javakheti road rehabilitation project.
German-Turkish Company Papenbourg-Ostaz will undertake rehabilitation work at the Satkhe–Ninotsminda–Armenian border and Akhalkalaki–Sulda sections.
The project is aimed at improving road traffic in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli. The total budget is USD 123.6 million.
The other company to win the tender was Israeli-based Ashtrom which signed a USD 65.5 million agreement in March. Construction is due to be completed by the end of 2010.
Bridget Brink, chief of the political/economic section at the US Embassy in Georgia, told American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) members that the US is working hard to help Georgia resolve its territorial conflicts.
Last weekend US State Department travelled to Abkhazia to meet separatist officials.
Brink, who was speaking at the monthly round table on May 14, also noted the US government’s commitment to monitor the May 21 parliament elections.
Brink said several million dollars have been spent by the American government on training and other assistance related to the elections.
Other presentations during the meeting included Lasha Machavariani, the marketing director of Bagebey City Group. Machavariani provided an overview of the company's projects including Batumi Plaza and Park Place.
Dr. Giorgi Doborjginidze, the project director at Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing JSC also provided members with a project overview on Tbilisi Logistics City, a planned logistics park to be built three kilometers from Tbilisi International Airport.
World Bank Group and EBRD launch business environment survey in Georgia
The World Bank Group announced the launch of the fourth round of the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) on May 14.
It is a joint initiative of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank in Georgia.
For the first time International Finance Corporation (IFC) has joined the initiative and the survey will now cover issues specific to IFC’s advisory activities.
The objective of the survey is to obtain feedback from enterprises in client countries on the state of the private sector. Through interviews with 360 firms in the manufacturing and services sectors, the survey will assess the constraints to private sector growth and create business environment indicators that are comparable across countries.
Topics include the adoption of technology and innovation, competition, the qualifications of the workforce, access to financial services, infrastructure, and the impact of government regulations.
The research team began interviews in April, and preliminary results are expected in September 2008.
MCG signs second contract for road rehabilitation
Millennium Challenge Georgia Fund (MCG) signed a USD 33.1 million agreement with the second winner company of the international tender to participate in the Samtskhe–Javakheti road rehabilitation project.
German-Turkish Company Papenbourg-Ostaz will undertake rehabilitation work at the Satkhe–Ninotsminda–Armenian border and Akhalkalaki–Sulda sections.
The project is aimed at improving road traffic in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli. The total budget is USD 123.6 million.
The other company to win the tender was Israeli-based Ashtrom which signed a USD 65.5 million agreement in March. Construction is due to be completed by the end of 2010.