Page 13 - GEORptAug18

New strategy to reverse “offensive” environmental policies in Georgia, PM says
The statistics office also reported 2.2% y/y consumer price inflation, while the Producer Price Index (PPI) was up by 6.8% y/y in June.
The Georgian government is poised to release its new green economy development strategy within coming days, Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said on August 24, stressing that his government plans to address the “ineffective — and I would say offensive” policies of the last few years.
Bakhtadze described the green economy as “the most significant direction” for his government, which took office earlier this month.
“[The] Green Economy is our absolute priority. It is the one, which will enable us to advance our economy to a qualitatively new level and the living standards of our population at large,” Bakhtadze said during the presentation of the Transport Policy of Tbilisi Municipality, according to a government statement .
He also stressed the efforts of European countries in this area; Georgia is keen to further its integration with the EU.
Bakhtadze said that transport policy in the Georgian capital Tbilisi would be of central importance and get a substantial share of the funding.
"Unfortunately, Tbilisi and Tbilisians have painfully accepted the results of the incorrect — and I would say offensive — environmental policy witnessed in recent years. This is absolutely unacceptable,” the prime minister commented. He talked of the inefficient public transport system in the capital — specifically mentioning the yellow buses that are only slowly being replaced by eco-friendly blue buses — and said that a “significant volume of financial resources” would be disbursed from the central budget.
3.2 Macro outlook
ADB notes unexpected recovery in Central Asia and South Caucasus, raises forecasts
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has noted a “broadly positive” outlook for Central Asia and the South Caucasus as the economies of the region have performed ”unexpectedly” well, according to the July update of the Asian Development Outlook.
Other international observers, such as the World Bank, have previously
13 GEORGIA Country Report August 2018 www.intellinews.com