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Monday, October 29, 2007, #206 (1473)
“Prices are set by big businessmen in Georgia. The president was right when he said things like diapers are brought into the country by only one company which then controls prices. This is obviously bad news.” “I really don’t know why everything is getting so expensive. It’s not normal, because salaries are low and it’s hard for people to afford even basic things like sugar which is now almost two lari. Monopolists are disruptive for every country, because they remove competition and drive prices up.” “Actually, after Saakashvili’s speech I found that price of sugar is lower than it was before, which probably means the monopolists got scared. So monopolists are probably the cause of all these price increases.” “I don’t know why prices are going up, but it’s causing huge problems for us. If you compare today’s prices to what they were before, it’s terrifying. I have a GEL 500 [monthly] salary and it’s not enough for a family of three to live on.” “Prices dropped a bit this month because elections are coming up soon and Saakashvili wants to bribe people. But I am sure prices will shoot up again after the elections.” “I’m really concerned about monopolies. High prices are causing problems and unless the government takes measures urgently, the Georgian people will die from starvation.” “The GEL seems to be strengthening in relation to the USD but in reality it’s losing value. The government is ripping us off when we exchange currency.” “I’m not too sure about the specifics. But I know that prices are up and of course this isn’t good for the people. The government should understand that many Georgians live solely on bread.” “I agree with our president’s statement that there shouldn’t be monopolies as they drive up prices.” |
In a televised government session last week, the president railed against local monopolies which he says share the blame for rising consumer prices. Why do you think costs are going up in Georgia?