On June 24, 2010, a Georgian-Austrian business forum opened at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel.
Prime Minister of Georgia Nika Gilauri made a speech at the business forum. He introduced the business environment existing in Georgia to the foreign visitors:
"I'd like to present a review of the Georgian economics, the fields that have been developed.
The previous year was not easy for Georgia and for the entire world as well. The whole world, Europe experienced the economic crisis impacts. It has had certain influence on Georgia as well. Nevertheless, Georgia ended the previous year with a minus growth, economics has increased by 13,9 %. This is not a bad rate at all if taking into consideration the rates applicable in the region.
This year has started much better. We finished the first quarter with +4,5%. According to the economic growth we are expecting a 5%-growth for 2010. Several weeks ago the Fitch Report on Georgia was issued. According to the Fitch Report, the Georgian economics will be increased by 6%. It's true that this is not a bad rate at all.
There are two main reasons to walk out of the crisis: reforms which have implemented in Georgia for the recent years and the international financial institutes (European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank...), which were very active during the last year.
The goal of our Government is to create as many working places as possible. Creation of even one working place in Georgia requires the investment of approximately 25-50 thousand dollars. The only way out to reach the goal is to attract foreign investments in Georgia, make such investments active, create working places and reduce the rate of unemployment...
We are doing everything to create as comfortable environment for the international business representatives as possible. All the laws adopted during the last 5 years were discussed in view of business. There were 26 different taxes applicable in Georgia 4 years ago, and now there only 6 small taxes.
4 years ago there were more than 1000 licenses, regulatory systems applicable in Georgia. Today only 150 licenses are issued.
We have one of the most liberal Employment Code. We wish to support the private sector as much as possible in order to simplify the employment of people. A company may be founded here only in a day, the customs procedures, export processes are maximally simplified...
Due to the regulations we have adopted, Georgia has taken the 11th position in view of so called "Easy to Do Business".
One of our main approaches is to struggle against corruption. This is especially important in the region. There are no additional "hidden" taxes for the private sector in Georgia. It is confirmed by not only the experience of different businessmen acting in Georgia but also by particular studies conducted by Transparency International and European Union several months ago. According to Transparency International, Georgia falls within the top tenth of less corrupt countries...
As a result of all those reforms, according to which Georgia is now discussed by a lot of investors as a regional center, the place where it's possible to conduct business and thereafter expand it throughout Caucasus, Central Asia, Turkey, Ukraine...
Georgia has turned into an energy center in the region. Energy corridor passes through Georgia from East to West, as well as from North to South. 1.5% of oil of the world consumption passes through Georgia - from Azerbaijan to Turkey and from Russia to Armenia. We are the energy exporters to all the four countries: Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.
Georgia has reached quite a large energy diversification, which creates additional comfort for the private sector representatives in Georgia" - declared Nika Gilauri when giving a speech at the business forum.
Press Office of the Prime Minister