The President of Georgia met Governors and members of the Government today in Martvili. First of all Mikheil Saakashvili got interested with the results caused by the disaster. As Cezar Chocheli, the Governor of Mtskheta-Mtianeti region reported three regions got damaged after disaster - Dusheti, Mtskheta and Tianeti. As he said several water supply facilities, roads and bridges are damaged. He as well noted that the works had already started in order to remove damage. Mikheil Saakashvili discussed problems that the families living in Tserovani refugee settlement face during heavy rains permanently. As Cesar Chocheli reported the river that runs on the territory of Tserovali comes out of river-bed and this is why the settlement becomes flooded. The President tasked Mtskheta-Mtianeti Governor to once and for all resolve this problem.
The Governor of Kakheti region George Gviniashvili noted that hail damaged about two thousand hectares of vineyards, plural corps and fruits, after the heavy rains the infrastructure was damaged as well.
The Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure reported the President as well. As Ramaz Nikolaishvili stated disaster damaged 9 bridges within Georgia, but the Government issued 900 thousand GEL in order to remove damage and restore the infrastructure in three weeks.
Mikheil Saakashvili got information from the Governors and Ministers regarding the ongoing and planned projects within the regions.
"You know that in current year the total amount of fulfilled projects within the region reaches 2 billion GEL. One billion 200 thousand is spent on large road and railway projects within the frames of which 1335 projects will be fulfilled within all regions. 550 million is issued on road construction and 510 million will be spent on Baku-Tbilisi-Kharsi project, 150 million GEL is envisaged for railway infrastructure and 85 million on united water supply company. The mission of our Government is Georgia to fulfill historic project this year, next year and in 2013 - good water supply system in all locations, to have good roads and railway that will connect Georgia to European chain", the President of Georgia noted.
The President required information regarding rehabilitation works on water line. As Ramaz Nikolaishvili said the projects are prepared within the scope of whole Georgia and in this regards works are fulfilled due to the general plan. After Mestia, Poti, Zugdidi and Marneuli, where works will began this year water and sewage systems will be made in 6 more town throughout Georgia. The Minister explained that special maps are drafted for water systems according to which many projects are fulfilled. Improvement of water systems is planned in 28 towns of Georgia this year and in 2013 all works will finish. The Governor of Kakheti noted that water systems should change in Gurjaani and Telavi. 3 million 400 thousand GEL is issued because of this purpose in Gurjaani and four million 800 thousand on Telavi project. Mikheil Saakashvili recalled the problems concerning Rustavi populations and got respond from the Governor of Kvemo Kartli: "Water is no longer a problem for Rustavi and city is supplied with water during 24 hours".
The Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure noted regarding roads that Svenenti-Ruisi highway will open in fall and the construction of Ruisi-Rikoti will start. Pavement of Zestaponi-Kutaisi road will start in June. The project for Grigoleti road is prepared right now and the constructions will start from next year. The construction of Kobuleti bypass had already started that will finish in 2012 and the construction of Batumi bypass will start in August. As Ramaz Nikolaishvili stated highway will fully finish by 2013, besides Rikoti-Zestaponi portion.
Mikehil Saakashvili expressed his interest with the project of Batumi-Anaklia road and noted that this road has great importance for Anaklia resort.
"I was in Anaklia yesterday and I am very glad that this resort turns into an incredible place. We had simply forgotten that Anaklia was the most important trade center of Lazika, Kolketi, Mengrelia-Abkhazia, for the whole Black Sea region and also for Genoa merchants. This center was fully destroyed and a small village remained only. A big city is being constructed there now, but nothing is possible without roads. First it should be connected to a highway, because it is not right to travel through Zugdidi and second it should be directly connected to Batumi, because Batumi will be very important city and Anaklia the best resort, where compare to other places it almost never rains", the President noted.
As the Minister said about 100 km of Batumi-Anaklia road will be highway and passengers will be able to cover this distance in one hour. Besides this Zugdidi-Mestia 132 km road will finish in August. Mikheil Saakashvili tasked the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure the rehabilitation of Ushguli and Tetnuldi roads that is one of the major preconditions of the development of Svaneti resort zone.
"The gorge going to Mestia is so beautiful that in regards of tourism development this place has huge importance. Many small hotels and restaurants should be built there and we have to speak about this with private sector. We will do much this year, but in 2013 we must fully operate Ushguli, Tetnuldi and Adishi as resorts. This is why we have to do these roads together with Mestia", - the President of Georgia stated.
Ramaz Nikolaishvili noted that projects of Mestia-Ushguli are almost ready and construction of Tetnuldi road will start this year.
Mikheil Saakashvili stressed his attention on Javakheti and Kutaisi connecting road that goes on Sairme. The President stated that this is a strategic road that has great importance in regards of economic or other respects.
He got interested with Kazbegi tunnel as well that gets connected to Gudauri. As he noted the threat of avalanche always exists on Gudauri-Kobi road and Stepantsminda permanently gets disconnected from the rest of Georgia.
Mikheil Saakashvili noted that only roads of Kazbegi, Kutaisi-Mestia, Abastumani and Kutaisi connections remain only in non-occupied regions of Georgia. As he said it is necessary to make a good road on Goderdzi pass and when these projects will end Georgia will have good roads in every direction.
Ramaz Nikolaishvili spoke about Kakheti highway and Rustavi bypass. As he noted he plans to draft a project of fast tramway together with the Minister of Finance on Rustavi-Tbilisi that will be connected to Tbilisi tramway line.
The President of Georgia touched issues of railway projects. The construction of Akhalkalaki railway is going according to plan and the construction of station will start by the end of next year. It is important that 3100 people will be employed during the construction process. CEO of Georgian Railways reported the President as well. He said that the engines of trains are made in foreign countries and they get composed in Georgia. Right now the country has not got its own technologies, however the carriage-building plant works in direction of cargos. Concerning the ongoing works the major strategy of carriage-building plant is to start working on the construction of new carriages on the bases of which it will be given a chance to export its production to Caucasia and Ukraine. Irakli Ezugbaia as well noted that 1200 people are employed in carriage-building plants and in elmavalmshenebeli about 800 people. Mikheil Saakashvili said that 2500 people are employed in aviation factory the number of people employed in industrial sector of Tbilisi reaches 4500. However he considers that it is possible to employ 10 persons due to the existing potential. The President of Georgia considers necessary to transfer to high technologies in order to compose trains on place. As he said: "If we can assemble planes, it is more possible to assemble trains". He tasked CEO of Georgian Railways to work in this direction.
"Lets assemble a small detail from the very beginning - a dynamo, remote control or some other elements and we must transfer to high technologies. If this happens we will have future", he noted.
Mikheil Saakashvili got interested with the ongoing process of agricultural works, in particular in seeding and planting. He stressed his attention on American breed. As the President noted this process was fulfilled most successfully in Kakheti region - hybrid breed was planted on 14 thousand hectares. Above mentioned culture was planted on about 8 000 hectares what is 70-75 percent of the whole number, the process of seeding had not finished yet.
Now about the village support program, due to this program the population will define the local budget due to the existing priorities. In Racha money mainly is spent on rayon road and rehabilitation works of running water system and also on the arrangement of small size enterprises. As the President said this is good on one side that people decide itself what they need money for, however it is also important that local governance develops and the population gets feeling of independence and property. But on the other hand these projects should be spent in was that people shouldn't be doing the same job several times. In Kartli the requirement is on the reconstruction of internal roads and cleaning of internal canals, also on the arrangement of squares and playing grounds. Works had been started in Nikozi and other villages in regards of solving problems of running and irrigation water systems. As the governor of Shida Kartli stated this will be an exemplary project that will finish in the nearest future. Mikheil Saakashvili stressed his attention on several refugee settlements in this region, among them far away from Tbilisi. The President tasked Zurab Arsoshvili to develop a special project in order not to leave a single refugee without attention, most of all those who have no lands yet.
In Guria region despite solving problems of unemployment, besides tea production they are assuming to arrange farms. The Ministry of Economy offers Guria and Imereti region a new plan in order to overcome unemployment that envisages the development of textile production.
"We had sent Vera Kobalia in several countries to attract investments. The nearest mass employment sector is tourism, construction that concerns tourism as well and for females sewing industry. This is why we all must work on textile in order to bring people in at most", Mikheil Saakashvili stated.
As Vera Kobalia stated Spanish investors got interested with the existing experience, producers and prices in Georgia.
Besides this together with USAID program the trainings are planned as well. Several groups came from Turkey that are interested to open big enterprise in Georgia. According to Levan Varshalomidze's information the investors require to develop this production in none-touristic regions. We already have results because two successful projects are already fulfilled. Besides this they will soon start production of "Adidas" clothes in Batumi.
As the Governor of Shida Kartli stated pipe-producing factory will start operating in Rustavi metallurgic plant and by the end of this month big arched oven. Right now 2000 people are employed in old metallurgic factory, in azoth about 2100 people and in Geostyle about 600. About 300 people work in Rustavi Cement and in old production the number of employees reaches 500. Several new companies had been formed, for example "Rustav Metal" that will produce one third of production that is produced by Zestaponi ferroalloy factory.
Several days passed since new car dealership opened in Rustavi and this is a territory that created of flood and other threats to the city and now it turned into the second breeze.
"7-8 thousand people had found jobs among 135 thousand population, adding to that 100-1500 people employed in the state sector means that about 10 thousand people employed in state and industry appeared. Adding to that number of people employed in private sector - it reaches tens of thousand persons. That road connecting Tbilisi and Rustavi will solve huge problems", the President stated.
Mikheil Saakashvili spoke about tourism sector and its development and stressed his attention on those regions that are still not fully employed in this regards.
"We have many plans regarding tourism in Kakheti. We are working together with the World Bank and private investors in order to realize existing potentials in Vejini. It is true that Kvareli Lake was developed, but the problem is that it is a private property and people are not let in. This is why we are arranging a beautiful lake in Kvareli, the infrastructure will be fully developed and it will be for public use. There is a boulevards there, nature is beautiful, a bridge is constructed and what is most important it will be available for people - no one will make people pay money to get there, because it is a state investment and it should be spent on people. In regards of tourism development Kakheti has incredible potential and we have to take care of it. We have to take care of this region during upcoming years. This is agriculture, tourism, retraining and opening of small enterprises. According to the project of the World Bank work is going on in this direction", the President of Georgia noted.
He as well touched an issue of Sairme resort development. Right now active works are going on in Sairme and on July 1 tourism season will fully launch. A park, water system and sewage system will be rehabilitated fully. The construction of two hotels will finish as well.
And finally the President of Georgia summed up today's session. He called on the governors to report people permanently on the ongoing projects in order to keep the population fully informed all the time.
"We will have a double digit indicator of economic growth next year, but the main thing is not a digit, however it is very important, but that Georgia would develop in a fast way. Our neighbors are developing so rapidly that we don't have a right to develop slowly. We will be left behind in this case and it is unacceptable. This is why our economic growth should be based on infrastructural projects.
It envisages the construction of huge plants, tourism...
Especially it concerns Racha, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara, Imereti, whole Georgia.. We are expecting 3 million tourist this year, next year 4 million and one year after that - five million tourists. We must spent big part of our time on preparing our people for this. For example receiving five million people means that Georgian wines will be fully drunk in Georgia. It is very important that we will have much more tourists than our population. It is natural that we have to double production of agricultural products, because in reality we have a potential of triple or even fourfold it. 2013 will become a historic period for Georgia - not because my Presidency term ends, but because in 2013 something will be done that had never been realized before. In this period we will have best roads everywhere, almost everywhere we will have contemporary water system, water will run in every family, we will have so many tourists as our population is - or even more. Unemployment rate should decrease up to 10 percent in 2013, our railway finally should get connected to European railway (it might happen in 2012 even) and in regards of geography and infrastructure we should return to one unified European system. If all projects are fulfilled it will be like this - this is our assumption. It happens in every direction. There is not a single region in Georgia, besides the occupied regions where the projects of historic importance are not being fulfilled that define the development of country within next centuries. This is a global importance of our projects and if we look specifically too many people will be employed and as we assume the GDP will double by 2015. We also know that a reform in educational system is being fulfilled irreversibly. 13 is a bad number, but it will be very lucky for Georgia if we will fulfill everything. I want people to be fully informed regarding of what is done and we must continue reporting in front of our society.
It is not necessary for the Government to run everywhere, because the Governors, the right of which will grow must permanently be accountable in front of people and not only in front of me or the government. First of all you are accountable in front of that Georgian population in those regions that you are leading", the President of Georgia noted.