Minister in favour of anti-monopoly systems

Minister of Economic Development Lasha Zhvania is supporting the idea of reestablishing the Anti-Monopoly Service, not in its old form but through creating precise mechanisms for the functioning of institution.

Zhvania said that he did not agree that the institution was corrupt and thus deserved to be abolished. He said that if this were the case there would be no state bodies at all, as corruption exists in any state.

Zhvania said that it is necessary to use different mechanisms to ensure that monopolies do not exist. He said that in a country with such a high number of socially vulnerable people monopolies create high prices which are a danger to the population.

Economic analyst and former President of the NBG Nodar Javakhishvili has commented that the goodwill of the ruling administration to promote free competition and eliminate state racket is the fundamental necessity. Without such good will it makes no difference whether there is an Anti-Monopoly Service or not. The Georgian population is particularly concerned about the prices of medicines, which are getting more and more expensive almost daily.