Tbilisi: The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Otar Shamugia, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili and the Minister of Finance, Lasha Khutsishvili held a working meeting with heads of food distribution companies and network markets.
At the meeting, Otar Shamugia and other Georgian officials conducted discussions over the situation of the food consumer market of Georgia. It was noted that despite the recent establishment of the GEL exchange rate and the reduction of prices for imported food of primary requirements, their value in the markets is almost unchanged, which will affect especially the most disadvantaged, socially vulnerable groups of the population.
According to the instructions of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, the economic team of the Government of Georgia has been assigned with the task for the creation of a working group that will work with both distributors as well as the network market managers in order to find a solution to the created situation within reasonable terms.
As the officials present at the meeting stated, the consumers should get primary-purpose groceries at affordable, competitive prices. Moreover, it was decided that a specific action plan will be prepared for separate naming of primary requirements food products, upon the mutual agreement which will be signed between the government, distributors and markets.
The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development will prepare a bill on retail trade, which will address the requirements of the relevant eurodirective. The Business will actively participate in the process of considering the bill.
