Committee supports 3-fold increase of excise duty on cars older than 6 years

The study shows that Georgia’s per-hectare yields for fruits, vegetables and grains are lower than those of neighboring countries and the EU.For example, Georgia’s fruit yield is only 4.8 tons per hectare, which is more than two times lower than Armenia (11.4 tons), Ukraine (11 tons) and the EU (11.7 tons).The difference is even more striking in the case of vegetables - the average yield in Georgia is 11.1 tons, while in Azerbaijan - 31.1 tons, in Armenia - 35.6 tons, and in Turkey - 42.3 tons. As for grain crops, Georgia (2.8 tons) here also lags behind both Azerbaijan and Turkey (3.4 tons), as well as Ukraine (5.1 tons) and the European Union (5.2 tons).The Galt & Taggart review emphasizes that the low yield is due to several fundamental factors, including low corporatization, lack of knowledge and technological backwardness. The share of business in the sector is only 13%, and the production of raw materials is mainly concentrated in households.Land fragmentation is also a problem - 73% of farms in Georgia are less than one hectare, 25% have an area of 1 to 5 hectares, and large farms, the size of which exceeds 5 hectares, make up only 2%. For comparison, in Azerbaijan and Armenia the share of farms smaller than one hectare is relatively lower (60-61%), which creates the basis for more efficient use of land in these countries.

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Lion Finance Group (BGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 106.10/share (-8.77% w/w and +6.15% m/m). More than 320k shares traded in the range of GBP 104.20 - 118.20/share. Average daily traded volume was 59k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of BGEO shares traded was at 0.74% of its capitalization.TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN) closed the week at GBP 42.10/share (-2.43% w/w and -0.94% m/m). More than 241k shares changed hands in the range of GBP 41.45 - 45.15/share. Average daily traded volume was 65k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of TBCG shares traded was at 0.43% of its capitalization.Georgia Capital (CGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 34.90/share (-2.38% w/w and +5.28% m/m). More than 243k shares traded in the range of GBP 34.25 - 37.25/share. Average daily traded volume was 59k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of CGEO shares traded was at 0.70% of its capitalization. 

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The prosecutor's office charged Mikautadze with nine different counts, including abuse of office, illegal participation in entrepreneurial activity, and money laundering.According to the prosecutor in the case, Irakli Marshania, the convict was deprived of important assets: A residential apartment in Spain 3 cars Expensive watches, gold bars and coins A 15% stake in the Nakhidur hydroelectric power plant Despite the fact that Romeo Mikautadze applied to the prosecutor's office for a plea bargain, he did not plead guilty at the court hearing. In his closing statement, he stated that he was ready to admit to a "non-existent crime" in order to quickly conclude the case. According to the prosecutor, since the defendant does not admit guilt, a plea bargain is impossible.The convict's lawyer, Beka Nemsitsveridze, will appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal. He criticized the justice system and noted that the court only took into account the arguments of the prosecution.Romeo Mikautadze was arrested by law enforcement officers on June 20 of last year. He was charged with 4 articles: Article 333, Part 2 of Article 332, Article 337, and Subparagraph “c” of Part 3 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code.

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The Prime Minister also focused on the results of the agro-credit subsidy program and noted that the total output of the sector has almost doubled since 2018. As for foreign trade, exports currently amount to 4.5 billion GEL, although the fact that this volume is based on only a few product categories remains a challenge.According to Irakli Kobakhidze, despite the growth, the country is still significantly dependent on imports for meat, dairy products and grains. The main task of the state and the private sector remains to increase production productivity, expand the export range and establish itself in new, highly cost-effective international markets.

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According to the Government of Georgia, the one-on-one meeting primarily centred on the relations between Georgia and Belarus, as well as potential future opportunities for cooperation.“The parties reviewed current issues related to the bilateral partnership, including cooperation in the trade and economic spheres. Particular emphasis was placed on Georgia’s role as a safe country in terms of creating a stable, predictable and investor-friendly environment.The importance of holding the 7th Session of the Georgia-Belarus Intergovernmental Economic Commission was also highlighted, as a crucial platform for discussing key economic issues between the two countries.The sides also discussed the positive dynamics in the tourism sector and the growing number of Belarusian tourists visiting Georgia,” read the statement issued by the Government of Georgia.

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According to her, today’s discussions will also focus on Georgia.“Of course, today we will also address the situation in Georgia. It is becoming increasingly serious. A visa ban for diplomats has been in effect since March 6. We will consider what additional measures are necessary. The Georgian government is not moving in the right direction,” added Kaja Kallas.

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Of this, exports were $1.02 billion (increased by 22.9%), and imports were $2.48 billion (decreased by 15.4%). Trade deficit in January-February 2026 amounted to $1.45 billion, which was 41.5% of foreign trade turnover.

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Official Stockholm emphasizes that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are fundamental principles of the OSCE, the protection of which is a direct obligation of the participating states.“Sweden welcomes the independent expert’s assessment of the human rights situation in Georgia and calls on the Georgian authorities to fully implement the recommendations of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism,” the ministry said in a statement.Sweden is among 24 countries that have issued a joint statement confirming the democratic backsliding in Georgia and calling for the repeal of laws such as the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.

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