Agriculture Minister excludes the increase of bread price
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, August 19
The Minister of Agriculture, Otar Danelia stated that bread price in Georgia will not increase. He told the media that there is a very large wheat harvest in Georgia, and in addition, wheat prices on international markets have decreased and these factors exclude the possibility of an increase in the bread price.
Danelia made his statement in response to Shakro Bakuradze, the head of bakery company Ipkli, who told the newspaper Kviris Palitra that bread price in Georgia would increase nearly by 10 tetris, if alternative ways of flour import would not appear.
Bakuradze also said that he wanted to import flour in Georgia, but his cargo was suspended at the customs checkpoint. He doubts that floor import is inhibited by the largest flour importer company in the country, whose owner is Koki Osipov.
Ltd Margo director, David Ghoniashvili said that he also had problems with the customs on import of flour, but the limitations currently are removed, after he addressed the Customs Department.
Ghoniashvili hopes that bread prices will not increase and the problems with the customs will not exist in the future.
“I do not agree with Bakuradze that there is only one importer of flour, I know that there are other importers too,” he said.
According to the Head of Bakery Products Association, Malkhaz Dolidze, the price of bread in Georgia is high. He says that this process is caused by “weakening of market principles, because they started to examine flour quality at customs.”
Dolidze stated that he expects rise of bread price, but hopes that proper services will regulate the process and by September the problem would be solved.
Revenue Service also made a statement in response to Ipkli director.
“Flour and wheat import in the country is going without any obstacles,” reads the statement released by the revenue service.
