Sunday, March 22, 2026

Georgian lawmakers grill major retail chains over prices

TBILISI, March 16 – Nearly three months after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticized high retail markups, lawmakers are pressing supermarket chains to explain how shelf prices are actually formed. At the parliamentary commission’s seventh working session on Monday, representatives of large retail operators including Carrefour, Ori Nabiji, Nikora and Daily Group were called in to … Read more

Most municipal property auctions have just one bidder

TBILISI, March 11 – A new state audit has found that most municipal properties sold through electronic auction in Georgia drew just one bidder, spotlighting how local governments are privatizing public real estate. The findings, reported by BPN, touch a sensitive subject in Georgia, where privatization of public assets has been a recurring feature of … Read more

Rail losing ground to trucks due to deteriorating tracks

TBILISI, March 10 – Georgia’s domestic rail freight has fallen sharply over the past decade, with transport experts blaming neglected branch lines, very low speeds and a system that can no longer compete with road haulage. Speaking on Palitra News, Paata Tsagareishvili, head of the Transport Corridor Research Center (TCRC), said local cargo shipments on … Read more

Tbilisi airport gets upgrade as Vaziani plan sidelined

TBILISI, January 21 – Plans to build a new international airport near the village of Vaziani are increasingly in doubt after Georgia agreed to a major expansion of Tbilisi International Airport, an aviation expert says. Aviation analyst Iase Zautashvili told BPN that the planned USD 150 million investment in Tbilisi’s existing airport makes the construction … Read more

Georgia launches probe into high supermarket prices

TBILISI, January 21 – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with 15 representatives of major supermarket chains on Wednesday, putting rising grocery prices at the center of a growing government crackdown on retail markups. Speaking after the meeting, Kobakhidze said everyday food items in Georgia cost significantly more than in parts of Europe. He pointed … Read more

Electricity use rises in Georgia as crypto miners drive demand

TBILISI, January 19 – Georgia’s electricity consumption climbed again in 2025, driven by rising household demand and heavy use by large industrial players, according to data released by the country’s energy regulator GNERC. From January through November 2025, Georgia consumed 13.4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, up 2.1 percent compared to the same period a … Read more

Georgia’s apple trade continues growth with Russia as top buyer

TBILISI, January 16 – Georgia’s apple exports have jumped sharply this season, with Russia absorbing the overwhelming majority of the fruit, according to new government data. From August 1, 2025 to January 13, 2026, Georgia exported 10,000 tons of apples worth USD 7.3 million, figures released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture show. … Read more

US extension keeps Lukoil’s Georgia fuel stations running for now

TBILISI, January 16 – The United States has pushed back a January 17 deadline that required Russian oil giant Lukoil to complete the sale of its foreign assets, giving the company until February 28 to wrap up deals that could directly affect its operations in Georgia. The extension was issued by the US Treasury’s sanctions … Read more

Georgia businesses see inflation cooling

TBILISI, January 16 – Businesses in Georgia are expecting slower price growth over the next one and three years, according to a new inflation expectations survey released by the National Bank of Georgia. The survey, based on December responses from “participants in economic activity,” found that one-year inflation expectations fell compared with November. The central … Read more

Georgia’s ski resorts buckle under surge of winter tourists

TBILISI, January 15 – Georgia’s winter resorts are struggling to cope with a surge in visitors, as outdated and overstretched infrastructure strains popular ski destinations during the peak holiday season. Hotel owners and tourism operators say resorts such as Bakuriani and Gudauri are hosting far more guests than they were designed for, leading to traffic … Read more