Do you think the crisis is over in Georgia?
Thursday, December 3
“Maybe the financial crisis is over, yes. I do not mean that the economy is flourishing, but neither is it dying. We are getting back to a normal situation hopefully, and I am quite optimistic about the future as well.”
Tina, teacher, 39
“I do not think it is over. The Government is just trying to show that it is. All these new roads, buildings, squares and fountains, which are being opened every day almost, are just a facade to hide the real situation in the country. We have a lot of jobless people, nobody cares about them.”
Inga, nurse, 31
“How can the crisis be over when we have Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia? We are in a constant conflict situation. All these kidnappings keep us in constant fear and tension. This is the real crisis.”
Keto, housewife, 42
“No it is not over, unfortunately and will not be over in the near future I think.”
Ann, student, 24
“Yes I think that the crisis is over in Georgia. It seems so when we see how much our dear President Mikheil Saakashvili has spent on the New Year”.
Levan, office manager, 26
“I think the crisis in Georgia was there before the world crisis and might still be there after the world crisis because the budget is being wrongly distributed. We can say what we like, in reality most of the officials are lining their pockets with budget money. I do not think you can scare Georgians with a world crisis, we are so used to crisis that it is part of our fabric.”
Davit, journalist, 26
“Actually I think the crisis has not come to Georgia yet, because the economy of Georgia under the Saakashvili Government has not improved greatly so it cannot decline suddenly. During the world crisis the only thing that changed in the country was that the traders in the market grew insolent and raised their prices more and more. In other countries touched by the crisis the costs of many products necessary for the survival increased, but in Georgia they are the same as before. So I think that in many years of its existence Georgia has been in a more deplorable condition than it is during the crisis.”
Diana, lawyer, 35
“No, and according to the research of leading economists it will last until approximately 2011. I can also confirm this from my own experience. Even the 2010 national budget is not ready because we do not know where we will find the money.”
Malkhaz, economist, 28
Tina, teacher, 39
“I do not think it is over. The Government is just trying to show that it is. All these new roads, buildings, squares and fountains, which are being opened every day almost, are just a facade to hide the real situation in the country. We have a lot of jobless people, nobody cares about them.”
Inga, nurse, 31
“How can the crisis be over when we have Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia? We are in a constant conflict situation. All these kidnappings keep us in constant fear and tension. This is the real crisis.”
Keto, housewife, 42
“No it is not over, unfortunately and will not be over in the near future I think.”
Ann, student, 24
“Yes I think that the crisis is over in Georgia. It seems so when we see how much our dear President Mikheil Saakashvili has spent on the New Year”.
Levan, office manager, 26
“I think the crisis in Georgia was there before the world crisis and might still be there after the world crisis because the budget is being wrongly distributed. We can say what we like, in reality most of the officials are lining their pockets with budget money. I do not think you can scare Georgians with a world crisis, we are so used to crisis that it is part of our fabric.”
Davit, journalist, 26
“Actually I think the crisis has not come to Georgia yet, because the economy of Georgia under the Saakashvili Government has not improved greatly so it cannot decline suddenly. During the world crisis the only thing that changed in the country was that the traders in the market grew insolent and raised their prices more and more. In other countries touched by the crisis the costs of many products necessary for the survival increased, but in Georgia they are the same as before. So I think that in many years of its existence Georgia has been in a more deplorable condition than it is during the crisis.”
Diana, lawyer, 35
“No, and according to the research of leading economists it will last until approximately 2011. I can also confirm this from my own experience. Even the 2010 national budget is not ready because we do not know where we will find the money.”
Malkhaz, economist, 28