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Parliament prepares for spring session

By Salome Modebadze
Wednesday, February 8
The spring session of the Georgian Parliament opened with a bureau sitting on Tuesday. Approximately 20 issues were scheduled to be discussed during the session, and lawmakers said they focused on social and economic questions.

Job creation, simplification of taxation procedures in the agricultural sector, and healthcare accessibility are among the top concerns for Georgian citizens, according to Government Parliamentary Secretary Gia Khuroshvili. “People have problems which need to be properly reacted to by MPs on the legislative level,” he said.

The achievements of the 10-Point Government Strategic Plan for Development will also be presented to lawmakers for further remarks. Among the new government initiatives is one to release the producers of agricultural products from VAT. The relevant changes to the tax code have been initiated by Government, hoping that this will decrease the price of local produce by 18%.

Explaining that high prices are a problem for many people, Khuroshvili said the government will do everything it can to improve the situation. “The government can’t control extra prices at markets,” he said, but noted that the legislation will make products like fruit, vegetables, and meat cheaper for the average consumer.

Encouraging his colleagues to work hard during the spring session, Chair of Parliament Davit Bakradze spoke of the importance of this session for MPs before the fall election. Passionate discussions and a healthy exchange of viewpoints would, according to Bakradze, make the session fruitful.

He also promised that active political consultations would resume, with relation to improving the business climate and continuing administrative and legal reforms. “We will try to finish the spring session well, as our parliamentary activities will end with the spring session too,” he said.

The issues raised at the bureau session will be further discussed at plenary sessions. The first such session, tentatively scheduled for February 14, would supposedly open with President Mikheil Saakashvili's annual report. Later this year Parliament would prepares to move to Kutaisi.