Press Digest 08.01.2015
Country in crisis as timber resources dwindle
Prices on tobacco and alcohol rising
Country in crisis as timber resources dwindle
Reportedly, Georgia may soon run out of timber, and if the government wants to rectify this alarming situation it must find alternative energy sources as soon as possible.
Specialists have held meetings and came up with initiatives on cutting down the consumption of timber in 6 municipalities of Kvemo Kartli, which allegedly are the most vulnerable to this danger,”- reports the Rezonansi gazette.
As the Ministry of Environmental Protection informs, the region uses 200 thousand cubic meters of timber while only 80 thousand cubic meters is available at this point.
As Open Environmental Civic Initiative Coordinator Giorgi Demurashvili says, the issue Georgia is facing today might cause serious ecological problems very soon.
“Timber resources have nearly vanished in our country. Kvemo Kartli has already been left without firewood. The situation is also alarming in the regions of Kaheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Atchara and Samegrelo.
Demand for wood is immensely high, while the resources are quickly running out. For every 1 cubic meter of firewood obtained legally, 4 are illegally cut down. This obviously endangers our forests,” - Giorgi Demurishvili says.
People are forced to down the trees since no other alternative source of energy is available to them today. On top of that, due to natural disasters, the state budget is depleted by 200-250 million GEL per year.
It would be much more reasonable if the government spent these financial resources on obtaining alternative energy sources. Some villages will prove unable to get by without timber but its consumption will be substantially reduced,”- declares Giorgi Demurashvili.
Installation of gas pipelines is deemed to be an alternative source of energy in the region of Kvemo Kartli, while in some municipalities they also view solar energy as one of the most promising alternative sources,”- concludes the author of the article.
Prices on tobacco and alcohol rising
Starting from January 1, the price of filtered cigarettes has reportedly gone up by 20 tetri, while the price of non-filtered cigarettes by 5 tetri.
As the Finance Ministry says, a newly established excise tax has resulted in an increase in cigarette prices.
As alcohol producing companies inform, prices on alcoholic beverages will soon go up as well, most likely due to the same excise tax. They are worried that an increase in exercise duty will seriously harm their companies, - reports the Rezonansi publication.
“We were previously commissioned to increase the exercise tax rate each month but it grew only last year and recently. Not to mention that this has negatively affected our people’s health since the number of cigarette manufacturing companies has substantially grown in our country.
The government does not care about its people or their health in the slightest. It does nothing to clamp down on cigarette advertising and adopt measures against the use of tobacco.
They obviously cannot rectify this alarming situation by just raising cigarette prices,”- states Tobacco Control alliance Head, Giorgi Bakhturidze.
“An increase in exercise tax will seriously harm the vodka production industry. Local products are likely to be replaced by low quality imported products and this will inevitably deal a strong blow to our country,”- contends Giorgi Sharvashidze, commercial director of the “Sarajishvili” company.
