2020-12-11
The state is implementing numerous projects to support mountain residents and develop mountain areas.
In 2015, the Law on the Development of Mountain Areas was enacted, based on which almost 256,500 people already enjoy a status of permanent residents of mountain settlements, along with relevant social benefits and/or tax cuts. A mountain status is enjoyed by 1,797 settlements.
After the enactment of the law:
State pension bonuses (+20) is enjoyed annually by almost 75,300 pensioners on average
► A total of over 132 million GEL has been issued (through October of 2020)
► Pensions in mountain areas are 264 GEL and 300 GEL for pensioners aged over 70
► In 2021, pensions in mountain areas will increase to 288 GEL and to 330 GEL for pensioners aged over 70.
Bonuses will be issued to medical personnel, to more than 1,600 doctors and nurses, annually
► Twice the amount of state pensions to doctors
► To match the amount of state pensions in the case of nurses
► A total of more than 20 million GEL issued.
In addition, bonuses will be issued to medical facilities established with the state's shareholder participation and management.
Since 2015, doctors trained under the postgraduate education program and employed in mountain areas for 3 years enjoy state financing for their education in specifically defined areas.
Annually, bonuses are issued to more than 10,000 teachers, no less than 35% of the basic professional salary
► A total of more than 62 million GEL issued
► Teacher salaries are increased continuously.
Teacher salaries in mountain areas:
- Between 800 and 1880 GEL in 2020
- Between 865 and 1980 GEL starting in 2021.
Newborn assistance is issued annually to 5,000 beneficiaries on average
► 100 GEL for 1st and 2nd children in the course of 1 year
► 200 GEL for 3nd and every subsequent child in the course of 2 years
► A total of more than 29 million GEL issued.
Social package bonuses (+20%) are issued annually to more than 14,400 beneficiaries
► A total of more than 16 million GEL issued.
Almost 84,000 subscribers enjoy power bill cuts annually.
► 50% of power bills, but no more than 100 kWh of used energy, is financed
► A total of almost 33 million GEL issued.
Notably, the benefits offered through the pandemic include financing of utility bills (for 3 months at the initial stage and now for 4 months).
Bonuses (50 GEL and up) are issued to almost 340 coaches
►A total of more than 900,000 GEL issued.
429 enterprises qualifying as mountain area enterprises enjoy tax cuts
In the course of 10 years:
► Legal entities qualified as mountain area enterprises are exempt from property and profit taxes
► Individuals qualified as mountain area entrepreneurs are exempt from property and income taxes.
In addition, parcels of land owned by permanent mountain residents in the territory of mountain settlements are exempt from property taxes.
In 2016-2020, the Mountain Settlement Fund financed the following infrastructural projects:
► Road infrastructure: 33.7 million GEL
► Water supply and wastewater management: 4.8 million GEL
► Kindergartens: 2.5 million GEL
► Cultural sites: 2.1 million GEL
► Sports infrastructure: 1.2 million GEL
► Coastal protection infrastructure: i[ to 900,000 GEL
► Bridges: 1.8 million GEL
► Other infrastructural projects: 2.3 million GEL.
In 2013-2018, a total of 747.1 kilometers of roads were rehabilitated in mountain areas. 155 projects have been implemented under the Mountain Fund since 2016.
Almost 500 households now enjoy internet connection in Pshav-Khevsuret-Gudamakari.
In 2013-2020, gas supply was provided to 106 high-mountain settlements, and 16,559 subscribers are now participants of the natural gas network. Power transmission lines have been built and rehabilitated, and solar panels have been installed in 207 households in 95 villages this year.
In 2013-2020, 4 public service hall branches and 24 community centers opened in settlements qualifying for high-mountainous status. Since 2016, notaries have been appointed in 15 high-mountain settlements.
Citizen service centers were built.
A new project, The State-Your Partner, was launched. Under this project, all assistance programs have become even more accessible for citizens. Those intending to become entrepreneurs of farmers can now receive information about state programs in one space, using a one-window principle, at community centers and public service halls throughout Georgia. A unified electronic portal is also operating at https://programs.gov.ge/.
Under programs supporting agriculture:
► 19 new enterprises and 21 cooperative enterprises opened
► 140 orchards were built to cover 715 hectares
► 8,728 persons insured 87 million GEL worth of crops
► 3 persons (instead of 9) suffice to create a cooperative in mountain areas and qualify as an agricultural cooperative
► 429 agricultural cooperatives are registered in mountain regions and enjoy various support programs
• 38 agricultural cooperatives are involved in state programs for rational hayfield and pasture use
• Under the state program for supporting dairy-producing agricultural cooperatives, 21 cooperative enterprises of various capacities have been created
• The state program for supporting beekeeping agricultural cooperatives incorporates 108 cooperatives.
► Under the project for co-financing processing and storage enterprises, the amount of financing has increased by 10% (16 projects approved)
► 28 persons have used the program for supporting young rural entrepreneurs
► Almost 50 persons are now involved in the co-financing program for Agricultural Modernization, Market Access and Resilience.
► Tea plantation rehabilitation is financed in areas covering 25 hectares
►51 farmers are now involved in the state program for Dairy-Farming Modernization and Market Access
► 36 amelioration infrastructural rehabilitation projects have been implemented
► To support viniculture and viniculture under the COVID-19 pandemic, a state-run enterprise in the Racha-Lechkhumi Region procured from the population 1,200 tons of different grape varieties not demanded by the private sector.
Almost 1,400 local vineyard-keepers and farmers have benefited from said social assistance, receiving 8.03 million GEL in revenues.
► A new office of the National Food Agency opened in Mestia.
Upgrading Medical Infrastructure and Access to Healthcare
► 13 new medical emergency centers were built
► The medical emergency vehicle fleet has been overhauled, and new all-terrain ambulances have been allocated to high-mountain regions.
► New medical facilities opened in Lentekhi and Kharagauli
► A traumatology unit opened in Gudauri
► Village outpatient clinics were built and rehabilitated
► In addition, citizens can now easily access medical services under the universal healthcare program and expensive medications under the hepatitis C elimination state program.
Police Infrastructure and Projects for Police Forces
► In 2021, police stations will be built in Mestia, Abastumani, and the village of Omali, Dusheti
► In 2020, the salaries of police officers and rescuers/firefighters increased by 125 GEL.
Educational Infrastructure and Projects
► 37 schools were built
► 31 public schools were fully rehabilitated, and over 100 renovation projects of different kinds were carried out
► 18 schools are under design/construction
► A boarding school was built in Shatili
► Boarding schools were rehabilitated in Magharoskari and Barisakho
► School buses serve almost all schools in mountain villages
► Free extracurricular classes opened in schools as part of informal education
► A social program is operating to finance students. State educational grants are offered to students who have studied in high-mountain settlement schools and have received certificates of education.
► Under the Teach for Georgia program, more than 150 consultant-teachers of various disciplines are now employed by schools in high-mountain villages
► 28 smaller schools are engaged in a teaching program delivered by highly qualified professionals
► Vouchers with enhanced amounts are issued to the students of multisectoral high-mountain village schools and vocational schools
► Teachers of vocational schools in high-mountain settlements receive bonuses amounting to 35% of their salaries
► New branches/labs/workshops of vocational education opened
► An adventure tourism school was established in Gudauri
► Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation has financed numerous ongoing and finalized scientific projects dedicated to the concerns of mountain regions.
► A football complex opened in Ambrolauri.
Rehabilitation of Monuments of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Sites Is Underway
Finalized and ongoing projects include
► Rehabilitation/conservation work at the Vardzia Monastery Complex
► Rehabilitation of towers in Svaneti
► Rehabilitation of buildings in the village of Chazhashi
► Rehabilitation of collapsing buildings in Shatili
► Rehabilitation work in the village of Mutso
► Full rehabilitation of Leo Pilpani Center of Folklore in Mestia
► Rehabilitation of the exhibition halls of the Historical Museum in Tsageri
► Dartlo rehabilitation; rehabilitation of houses qualifying as monuments of cultural heritage
► Restoration of historic buildings in Abastumani; rehabilitation of Evgeni Kharadze National Astrophysics Observatory
► Goderdzi Chokheli's historic house-museum built in the village of Chokhi
► Rehabilitation of Vazha-Pshavela's historic house-museum in Chargali
► The Oni Museum is under construction, and the Stepantsminda Museum is under rehabilitation
► Numerous churches have been rehabilitated
► 3 houses of culture have been rehabilitated
And others.
In 2013-2020, the Training Center of Justice carried out a variety of activities to benefit the residents of mountain regions, including legal and social trainings, tourism management, project development, effective communication, combating violence against women, and other trainings, also Georgian- and English-language courses, and others.
The restoration laboratory of the National Archives is in the process of conservation/restoration of the 12th-century Gospels from the village of Lakhamula. Once fully restored, the manuscript will be returned to the village.
Since August 1, 2016, a land registration has been in full swing throughout the country, including in high-mountain regions. The registration procedures have been simplified significantly, and services for citizens are now free of charge, including notary mediation.
Since the summer of 2020, the Public Registry has been implementing a systemic registration project in high-mountain regions.
In every city and settlement qualifying as high-mountainous, navigation data on transport networks and sites of public interest have been collected and processed.
In 2013-2019, information on addresses was collected on the ground in every city and settlement on the list of high-mountainous settlements and was subsequently recorded in the address registry.
With organization and participation from the Information Center on NATO and EU, up to 280 informative and educational events dedicated to NATO and the EU, also to Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration, were held between 2013-2020 in Georgia's high-mountainous regions and settlements. Since 2019, the center's 2 new bureaus have been built in high-mountainous Adjara (Shuakhevi) and Racha-Lechkhumi and Zemo Svaneti. Several public schools and libraries now host almost 15 awareness corners dedicated to NATO and the EU.
Tourism/Mountain Tourism and Protected Areas
► Aerial lifts were built in Gudauri, Bakuriani, Goderdzi, and Svaneti
► Work is underway to install anti-avalanche systems in the Kobi-Gudauri ski area
► Snowmaking systems were installed
► In 2023, Georgia's Bakuriani and Gudauri will host the Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships
► In 2025, Georgia's Bakuriani will host the European Youth Winter Olympic Festival
► Visitor centers were built in Kazbegi and Dusheti, and exhibition spaces were renovated at the Kharagauli and Borjomi visitor centers
► Pedestrian and bike routes were built
► Rope parks were arranged in Algeti and Mtirala National Parks
► Wine routes were developed in the Machakhela Gorge
► The administrative building in the village of Chakhati, Kobuleti Municipality was reconstructed
► A hostel was built in Tusheti's protected area
► A cafeteria was built at the Kue scenic overlook, in the village of Omalo, Tusheti's protected area
► Pedestrian and bike routes were built in Pshav-Khevsureti.