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Big business still dominates in Georgia

By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, June 22
The Department of Statistics states that in the first quarter of 2010 the total turnover of enterprises in the country was GEL 4.836 billion, 1 billion higher than in the same period of last year. 84.5% of this turnover comes from large enterprises, 8.5 % from medium-sized ones and 7% from small ones.

The same proportions can be observed in regard of production. Large enterprises produce 83.2% of goods, medium enterprises 8.1% and small ones 7.7%. Almost 147 million GEL was invested by enterprises, of which large enterprises invested 94.5%, the medium-sized ones 2.9% and small ones 2.6%.

Clearly the economic share of large enterprises many times exceeds that of small and medium-sized ones taken together. Analyst Avtandil Silagadze thinks that this is a reflection of monopolies developing in the country and the lack of conditions for establishing and supporting a middle class, as this class develops when medium-sized and small enterprises function effectively. This is a serious problem which the State should respond to, thinks Silagadze.