Georgia: Around the world, December 11th is observed as International Mountain Day. With tremendous enthusiasm and delight, Georgians also commemorated this day.
A Georgian law is put into effect to develop the highlands or mountain regions. In 2015, Georgia’s Law “On the Development of Highlands Regions” became operative.
The purpose of the law is to determine allowances to stimulate socio-economic progress in the Highlands, which will ensure the welfare of people living in the Highlands, improve the standard of living, promote employment, and improve social and economic conditions.
According to the law, the status of highland settlement has already been granted to 1802 settlements, including 9 cities, 21 Dabas, and 1772 villages (about 49% of the total settlements of Georgia).
More than 257,412 citizens of Georgia benefit from the status of a person living in a high-rise settlement.
“About the development of highland regions” refers to the benefits provided by Georgia law. Since the law’s implementation, 746.4 million GEL has been distributed for a variety of purposes, including the purchase of a child for families, pensioners, physicians, nurses, public school teachers and coaches, electricity allowance, and other things.
The law prescribed tax deductions for individuals and enterprises of highland settlements: income tax, profit tax and property tax. As of today, 555 enterprises use the status of highland settlement enterprises.
Based on the law, the fund for developing highland settlements was created. From 2016 to now, projects and programs worth more than 180 million GEL have been implemented in highland settlements, including road, water supply, water supply, sports, education and other infrastructure projects, as well as state programs such as: “Ratios of mowing-grazing in highland regions in state property State Program of Aloe Vera Use”; “Plant the Future”; “Supporting young entrepreneurs in rural areas” Program”; “Program of modernization of agriculture, market access and flexibility co-financing”; para-medics program; solar panel provision program; Pshav-Khevsureti internetization program and others.
Within the framework of the development policy of highland settlements, after implementing the 2019-2023 strategy and its action plans, the implementation of Georgia’s highland settlements development strategy for 2024-2030 has been developed and is underway.
