Thursday, July 26, 2007, #141 (1408)

News in brief:

USAID, UNDP to support civil registry reform in Georgia
The Civil Registry Agency at the Georgian Ministry of Justice continues to simplify the registration of civil acts, including births, marriages and child adoption, as well as the administration and issuance of passports and ID cards. Applying the latest technologies, the modernized system will be able to operate online and provide citizens with one-stop-shop access to the agency’s services.
“An efficient civil registry system is essential for many aspects of public life, including a free and fair electoral process,” Justice Minister Gia Kavtaradze said at the signing of an agreement with the UNDP to start a project promoting the second phase of civil registry reform.
The USD 2.8 million project will further develop the legal framework for the reformed Civil Registry Agency, digitize the archives and introduce up-to-date IT.
In addition, the project will refurbish 14 civil registry offices in the regions.
“Civil registry reform will significantly reduce bureaucracy and make things easier for people,” UNDP Resident Representatives in Georgia Robert Watkins said.
The project is funded by USAID with additional contribution from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UNDP.
(UNDP)

Researchers Compete for Ministry of Education Funded Grants
On July 25, the Georgian National Scientific Fund held a briefing in the Ministry of Education, detailing a research grant competition for scientists.
1085 proposals have already been submitted an increase of 100 from last year.
The current competition is partially financed by state funds from the Ministry of Education as well as other sources. In 2006, funding totaled GEL 12 million, for 113 projects. This year, funding is expected to increase.
The average funding for a one-year project is GEL 50 000. The maximum size of a grant is a three-year project with funding of GEL 150 000. Research projects can also be less than a year.
The competition covers eight areas of study including Georgian studies, economics, IT studies, science and technology, environmental studies, medicine, engineering and agriculture.
Along with Georgian experts, the competition will be judged by 750 foreign experts from leading scientific institutions around the globe.
The results of the competition will be announced in November, and financing for the projects will begin January 1, 2008.
(Ani Kvrivishvili)

Capital Vostok Offers “A” Class Apartments to Residents Tabukashvili St.
Capital Vostok Company offers “A” class apartments in a new building, which will be constructed near the parliament in central Tbilisi, to residents whose homes are being demolished on Tabukashvili St. Daniel Mouzon, Director General of Swiss branch of the company stated at a press conference on Wednesday.
A German architect will work on design of the building.
According to him, construction expenses of the new building will be covered by Capital Vostok and will take 20 months.
He informed that the families, who reject the offer, will be offered USD 1400 per square meter for the flats that have been renovated and USD 1200 per square meter for the flats without similar comforts.
Capital Vostok is constructing a 5-star hotel in Tbilisi worth of USD 120 million.
(Prime News)

Abkhazian Government-in-Exile to Distribute Wheelchairs to Disabled in Kutaisi, Zugdidi
Dalila Khorava, Minister of Health Care of the Abkhazian government-in-exile, will distribute wheelchairs to refugees, who became disabled during the Georgian–Abkhazian conflict. The event will take place in a Kutaisi clinic on Thursday reports the press department of the Abkhaz government-in-exile.
A similar action will be held in Zugdidi on July 27.
(Prime News)

Abkhazian Government-in-Exile: Shamba Statement Caused By Heat    
Raul Kiria, head of the PR Department of the Abkhazian government-in-exile, stated at a press conference on Wednesday that the statement of Sergey Shamba, de facto foreign minister of the unrecognized republic Abkhazia, towards the Georgian side was caused by “overheating”. 
Shamba accused the government-in-exile of illegal rotation of law enforcers in Georgian-controlled upper Kodori Gorge. He also protested the opening of patriot camp near the conflict zone and called on the Georgian side to take into consideration the statement of Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General who called on the Georgian side to remove a youth patriot camp from the Georgian–Abkhazian conflict zone.
According to Kiria, the population of upper Kodori Gorge and Russian peacekeeping forces deployed near the village Achabeti are not troubled by the situation.
He noted that the patriot camp aims to neutralize the conflict.
(Prime News) 

GYLA Award Most Active and Passive Ministries with Diplomas
The Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) has announced their choice for most active and passive ministries in work on the development of millennium goals on Wednesday.
GYLA awarded a diploma to the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Labor, Public Health and Social Affairs as the most active ministries while the Ministries of Energy and  Culture, Monument Protection and Sport were given the ‘award’ of most passive ministries.
(Prime News)



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