The FINANCIAL — Giorgi Goguadze, Member of Parliament and Former Director of People’s Bank presented a plan of forming Georgia’s economical development strategy that excludes focusing on foreign financial support.
“We will not be oriented at attracting foreign financial support. We should not be proud of loans provided by them,” Goguadze told The FINANCIAL.
“At the first stage we united specialists and advisers. It’s important that all these people gathered around the idea, beside their political view. Our aim is to discuss the country as a whole business project,” Goguadze says. “The Georgian Plan is for everyone who has rational conceptions of Georgian economical developments.”
“We are experiencing a very difficult time with this post war economical situation clouded by the global crisis. Our plan is based on the people’s demand to unite professional economists, who will work on an economical plan,” Goguadze stated.
“Our small ship is entering a storm now, where much bigger vessels can sink,” Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s President, declared on the same day during a meeting with businessmen in Batumi, Black Sea city of Georgia.
According to Civil Georgia Saakashvili said that the recent cabinet reshuffle was made in the context of this world economic crisis and to better prepare for future difficulties.
“The next six months will be very difficult,” he said. “The cabinet has been reshuffled to bring a new energy to tackle the challenges… We have invited people, who know very well European experience, who know very well Georgia’s economic and financial system and understand very well those challenges which we face.”
Georgian President Saakashvili said that Georgia’s economic problems were caused mainly by the current world financial crisis rather than by the August war.
“In spring the economical crisis will deepen much more. And we must focus on preventing recession,” said Avtandil Silagadze, Professor of Tbilisi State University.
“We introduced our plan to the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II. He approved of it and blessed the project. We invited businessmen, professors and finance specialists around our plan,” Goguadze added.
According to Goguadze the Georgian market is occupied by import. We have to work harder to develop local products and thereby reduce import. “The Georgian Plan will help us to foresee the economical situation in the nearest future,” Goguadze says.
“This project is very important as our government has no economical schedule. We have a lot of work to do for the development of economics. Georgia is the only country among Post Soviet republics that hasn’t managed to return to the level of economical development which it had before becoming independent,” declared Silagadze.
“The Georgian Plan will be oriented on the determination of Georgian economical priorities and the formation of leading spheres developing directions,” Mikheil Djibuti, Professor, former Economic Minister.
“A purpose of the plan is to create such an environment in Georgia, that each citizen can maximally realize his abilities. The Georgian Plan will consist of developing top priorities, concrete aims, perspectives and results. This will be a long term strategy on which Georgian economical development will be dependant for years,” Djibuti said.
The main values of the Georgian Plan are: Education, Employment and Health.
“The reforms can be done in the sphere of science. We must concretely know what number of professionals will be needed for concrete directions. As for healthcare, it must be made available for every citizen,” Goguadze says.
Written By Madona Gasanova
