📉💵 Georgia will lose more than $1 billion in 2022, and the economy will face an imminent decline due to the war in Ukraine
This information was reported by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget Kovzanadze.
"The Russian-Ukrainian war is a geopolitical shock that will inevitably be transmitted to the economy. It is difficult to measure its impact. I can definitely say that this will definitely be transferred to the economy. Both Russia and Ukraine are among our main trading partners. Russia is in second place, Ukraine is in fifth place. The consequence will be a reduction in exports, a reduction in remittances, tourism will not be like this before, and there will be a noticeable decline in the economy."

🇬🇪🎧 Tbilisi Open Air will be held in the Georgian capital after a two-year pause caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
This is stated in a statement on the festival page: "We will officially announce Tbilisi Open Air 2022 in the coming days"
Lineup will be announced later, as well as the dates of the festival. It is known that the organizers are creating a fund to help those affected by the war in Ukraine. Not only part of the proceeds from ticket sales, but also the proceeds from the sale of special merch will be transferred there.
ℹ️ Tbilisi Open Air is the largest open-air music festival in the region, founded in 2009. Over the years, the guests of the event were Leningrad, Zemfira, Placebo, Morcheeba and Tom Odell.

🇬🇪🇺🇦 According to the decision of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, the Ukrainian-language sector will be opened in Tbilisi for pupils and students from Ukraine.
Minister of Education Mikhail Chkhenkeli met with temporary Ambassador Andrei Kasyanov and discussed with him the admission of students from Ukraine to Georgian schools. This is a very important decision that will allow Ukrainian schoolchildren to receive education in their native language.
In Tbilisi and the regions, 190 students from Ukraine of different ages have already been enrolled in educational institutions.

👮‍♀️ Georgian police arrested 13 members of the organized criminal group who committed fraudulent actions against foreign tourists.
In particular, the detainees, through deception and threats, physical and psychological pressure, forced tourists to pay illegal, unreal, large amounts of money for the ordered services. This was especially true for nightclubs and establishments in Tbilisi.
Usually, the scheme was as follows: a person ordered dishes or alcohol from the menu, and he/she was told to pay the price 10 times higher.
❗️If this happens to you or your acquaintances, feel free to call 112.

🇺🇦➡️🇬🇪 Today, 103 Ukrainian citizens who left their homeland because of the war arrived in Georgia from Poland.
At the moment, Ukrainians arrived at Kutaisi airport, where they are provided with all kinds of support. Commercial facilities and transport companies of Kutaisi Airport offer free transportation and catering services for Ukrainian citizens at the airport, and the tourism administration and the government are engaged in their placement.

🇬🇪🛫🇩🇪 From Georgia to Germany and back.
✈️ Lufthansa will operate flights between Munich and Tbilisi 7 times a week from March 27.
✈️ Eurowings will resume work in the Georgian aviation market from April 17. The airline will operate flights Düsseldorf-Tbilisi at a frequency of once a week, and in summer the route Stuttgart-Tbilisi will be added.

☀️ From next weekend in Tbilisi +21-26° heat.
Over the past ten days, a record amount of precipitation in the history of meteorological observations has occurred in the Georgian capital:
100 millimeters of precipitation - snow was almost continuous for a whole week. But today it's sunny outside and much warmer, and in the coming weekend the air will warm up to +26°.
❤️ Real spring and even a little summer!

️🛢 Tbilisi is hosting a mass action against the increase in fuel prices
The audience marched from Republic Square along Rustaveli Avenue to the parliament, where they voiced their demands:
📍Abolition of excise taxes on gasoline
📍Transfer of VAT to floating mode
📍Support for small and medium-sized businesses
👆Over the past month, fuel prices in Georgia have increased by 20%
❗️Because of the action, traffic jams were formed on the central streets.

🇬🇪 From today (from 28.03) in Georgia, almost all restrictions that were in effect due to the covid-19 pandemic are lifted:
📍masks in open spaces are no longer needed
📍quantitative and other restrictions are removed when visiting catering facilities, sports and cultural events
📍 self-isolation for Georgian citizens entering the country has been canceled
❗️At the moment, the following rules remain:
📍mandatory wearing of a mask indoors and in transport

🌤 About the weather in Georgia for April
Starting this week, noticeable warming is predicted in all regions. +26-28 degree is expected in Tbilisi next Sunday. Throughout April, the temperature will be around 18-21 heat.

🇬🇪➡️🇪🇺 Today, March 28, marks exactly 5 years since the introduction of the visa-free regime for citizens of Georgia with the EU/Schengen countries.
According to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, 500,000 people made 1.5 million visits to EU countries during this period.

🇬🇪💳 Bank of Georgia abolished the requirement for Russians who want to open an account, to recognize Russia as the occupier that invaded Georgia and Ukraine.
Let me remind you that the bank began to require Russians who want to open accounts to sign a number of documents (including thae document, where a person support the territorial integrity of Georgia) became known on March 4. TBC Bank, which announced on the same day that it would not open accounts for Russians, has also changed its decision at the moment. Citizens of Russia, Belarus and other countries (if they are not under personal sanctions) can open accounts of individuals in the above organizations. You can also apply for Visa and Mastercard cards at Credo bank and Liberty. In addition to the passport, certificates from work, employment contract and other documents can be requested. There are cases of failures that are difficult to systematize.
❗️At the moment, only ProCredit Bank has officially announced that they will not open accounts for individuals with Russian citizenship in Georgia.

🇬🇪 The ruling Georgian Dream party rejected the idea of Secretary of the Security Council of Ukraine Danilov about the military participation of Georgia.
He said that Kiev would be very helped by the opening of other fronts against Russia. In particular, if Moldova and Georgia engaged in the return of their territories occupied by Moscow.
"The secretor of the Security Council of Ukraine or whoever called us, the Georgian authorities do not intend to retreat from the declared peace policy. This was the case before, so it will be in the future," said Irakli Beraya, Chairman of the Defense Committee.
Another deputy, chairman of the parliamentary human rights committee Sarjveladze said that today there can be no justifications for calls for war in Georgia: "one thing can be said for sure: war is not in the interests of Georgia."

📱The operational office of Rakuten Viber, owned by the Japanese technology giant, opens in Tbilisi.
"The Rakuten Viber Tbilisi team, in addition to its own projects, will work on the refinement and development of local software compatible with iOS and Android systems, as well as to improve the quality of the Georgian IT sector," the Ministry of Economy of Georgia said in a statement. In 2014, Rakuten bought the Viber mobile application for $900 million.
❗️Let me remind you that a large IT project "EPAM" has been operating in Georgia since October 2020, which has several hundred employees.

🛍🛒 The Parliament of Georgia adopted a law on consumer protection in the third reading.
A few important points for all buyers:
📍It will be possible to return the product purchased online within 14 days after purchase if it has not been used
📍For offline purchases, a refund can be made within 6 months, but only if there are defects or flaws and without traces of use.

🇷🇺🚫 The Parliament of Georgia proposed to introduce punishment for the use of symbols with the letter "Z".
The initiative to criminalize Russian military symbols - the letter "Z" was taken by the chairman of the "UNM" faction Khatia Dekanoidze.
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine made a very important statement today and called on countries friendly to Ukraine to criminalize the so-called symbol of Russian military aggression," the politician said. Parliament is expected to consider the initiative in the near future.
📍Let me remind you that according to Georgian laws, the use of Soviet symbols has been prohibited since 2011.

📈 The National Bank of Georgia decided to raise the refinancing rate by 0.5%, as a result, the monetary policy rate is 11%.
According to the NBG, the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine and the rise in energy prices are a new shock to the Georgian economy, which led to an increase in inflation expectations. Against the background of rising oil prices, fuel prices are expected to jump, which will lead to an increase in prices for all goods in the country. Against the background of growing risks, there is a noticeable decrease in the inflow of external funds.
❗️Let me remind you that the inflation rate in 2021 was a record 13.9% and will remain high throughout 2022.

🇬🇪🇺🇦 145 pairs of children's shoes were exhibited at the Parliament of Georgia in Tbilisi.
In memory of the children who died as a result of the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for 35 days. That's how many, 145 innocent children, died during this time in Ukraine from the hands of the Russian military.
Photo by Mzia Saganelidze

🇬🇪🇺🇦 Georgian singers covered the Ukrainian song "Ой, у лузі червона калина" (Oh, there's a red viburnum in the meadow)
Performance took place during a charity concert, all funds from which went to support the Ukrainian people.

🇬🇪🇷🇺 Can Russia be in 40 kilometers from Tbilisi?
"South Ossetia will soon take legal steps to join the Russian Federation," said Anatoly Bibilov, President of the self-proclaimed republic.
"The referendum on the accession of South Ossetia to Russia will be held in the near future," said Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic Alan Tadtayev.
❗️Let me remind you that its independence was recognized by only five UN countries (Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru), and Georgia and the world community consider this territory occupied by the Russian Federation.

🇬🇪🇺🇦 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled the ambassador from Georgia, considering his work not productive enough.
"There are those who work together with everyone to defend the state, and there are those who waste their time and work only to stay in office. There will be no weapons, there will be no sanctions, there will be no restrictions for Russian business - look for another job," the Ukrainian president said during a traditional video message.