The News in Brief
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgia's Economic Dependence on Russia Increased in 2022, TI Reports
Transparency International - Georgia (TI) has published a new study on Georgia's economic dependence on Russia.
According to the study, in 2022, Georgia received about $3.6 billion in income from remittances, tourism and export of goods from Russia, which is 3 times more than the income received from the same sources in 2021. This indicator even exceeds 2 times the income received from Russia in 2019 before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
"In 2022, the income from remittances, tourism and export of goods from Russia was 14.6% of the Georgian economy (GDP), while in 2021 this figure reached 6.3%, and the maximum - 9.9% in 2018. This means that compared to previous years, Georgia's economic dependence on Russia has increased. The growth is mainly due to the jump-like increase in remittances," TI wrote.
According to the "Transparency International" research, in 2022 Georgia's exports to Russia increased by 6.8% and amounted to $652 million, and after the start of the war, in March-December, exports increased by 3.2%, which was mainly due to a 5-fold increase in the re-export of light vehicles, although the total Russia's share in exports still decreased, as it increased more in other countries.
As TI wrote, Georgian wine exports are distinguished by their high dependence on the Russian market.
"After the start of the war, the import of oil products (fuel) from Russia increased the most - by $482 million (5 times more). The share of Russian fuel in imports was 51%" TI report reads.
Jeanne Shahin Says People's Power Bill is Similar to That of Russia, Effective to Silence NGOs and Media
US Senator Jeanne Shahin responded to the People's Power's initiated bill which is supported by the "Georgian Dream" and said the "People Power" bill is similar to the one in Russia, which was effective in shutting down non-governmental organizations and silencing the media.
"The law that was introduced in the Parliament is not the American FARA law. I worked on that law, to reform it. It was originally passed in the 1930s in response to Hitler, as an effort to identify lobbyists or others who represented other countries in the United States and asked them to register. The bill here is similar to a law in Russia that has been very effective in shutting down NGOs and silencing the media in Russia.
It is not conducive to the 12 conditions that the European Union asked Georgia to fulfill for EU integration, and this law is very similar to the one that Hungary adopted and which came under attack. So it's not in line with the values that I think we would want in a democracy. And, transparency does not require such a law either. The argument that this is necessary for transparency simply does not cut it, because there is already transparency. "Non-governmental organizations are already obliged to declare where they are funded from," the senator noted.
Georgia's Economic Dependence on Russia Increased in 2022, TI Reports
According to the study, in 2022, Georgia received about $3.6 billion in income from remittances, tourism and export of goods from Russia, which is 3 times more than the income received from the same sources in 2021. This indicator even exceeds 2 times the income received from Russia in 2019 before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
"In 2022, the income from remittances, tourism and export of goods from Russia was 14.6% of the Georgian economy (GDP), while in 2021 this figure reached 6.3%, and the maximum - 9.9% in 2018. This means that compared to previous years, Georgia's economic dependence on Russia has increased. The growth is mainly due to the jump-like increase in remittances," TI wrote.
According to the "Transparency International" research, in 2022 Georgia's exports to Russia increased by 6.8% and amounted to $652 million, and after the start of the war, in March-December, exports increased by 3.2%, which was mainly due to a 5-fold increase in the re-export of light vehicles, although the total Russia's share in exports still decreased, as it increased more in other countries.
As TI wrote, Georgian wine exports are distinguished by their high dependence on the Russian market.
"After the start of the war, the import of oil products (fuel) from Russia increased the most - by $482 million (5 times more). The share of Russian fuel in imports was 51%" TI report reads.
Jeanne Shahin Says People's Power Bill is Similar to That of Russia, Effective to Silence NGOs and Media
"The law that was introduced in the Parliament is not the American FARA law. I worked on that law, to reform it. It was originally passed in the 1930s in response to Hitler, as an effort to identify lobbyists or others who represented other countries in the United States and asked them to register. The bill here is similar to a law in Russia that has been very effective in shutting down NGOs and silencing the media in Russia.
It is not conducive to the 12 conditions that the European Union asked Georgia to fulfill for EU integration, and this law is very similar to the one that Hungary adopted and which came under attack. So it's not in line with the values that I think we would want in a democracy. And, transparency does not require such a law either. The argument that this is necessary for transparency simply does not cut it, because there is already transparency. "Non-governmental organizations are already obliged to declare where they are funded from," the senator noted.