2019-10-08
Rapid and, more importantly, sustainable economic development depends, above all else, on business environment, it development, and on how rapidly an effectively businesses can create jobs, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated during today's meeting with the business community.
Today's meeting with tourism sector representatives marks the beginning of a series of the Prime Minister's sectoral meetings with the business community. According to the Head of Government, not a single step in the sector of tourism will be taken without dialogue with said sector.
"We are starting our discussions with the tourism sector, because it has been the biggest breakthrough generating the largest growth, and this field also boasts the most far-reaching spillover effect. As you know, in 2018 we had in excess of 7,000,000 visitors and about 3.2-3.3 billion USD in revenues for our economy. It is very important, of course, but there remain many challenges to be discussed by us today. We must remember that not a single step in this sector will be taken without consulting you, and that will be our guiding rule. We must be well aware of the Government's function, and the Government's function is to work with you on the diversification of the market, development of new tourism products, and the establishment of the finest investment market in this field.
These are our key objectives. To this end, the Government, in its 2020 budget, allocates about 115 million GEL to tourism, an amount that will be spent on this direction. Our task at hand is to define directions in which this money will be spent in a fast and effective manner. In particular situations, you may have certain issues that will be solved, I promise, in a matter of days, wherever it is possible, be they red tape or non-red tape, subjective or objective issues. It is very important to us rapidly to mobilize additional energy in the economy. I reiterate that we understand our function in assisting you and ensuring tourism market diversification, creating new tourism products, and putting in place a perfect investment environment, something we need to discuss. But our ultimate goal is very simple: more tourists and more revenues in the country, more jobs and, of course, the country's greater visibility. Because, if anything, we all understand that, besides economic effects, tourism has an equally far-reaching spillover effect, meaning the country's visibility, and that is very important to us, for our emerging democracy, emerging economy. I want you to know that the door of our team is always open, and our phones and other means of communication are always available for rapidly solving any possible objective problem in order to achieve said goal. I offer you a maximally open conversation without restrictions, and we are ready for criticism," Giorgi Gakharia stated.
Prime Minister's Press Office