TBILISI, DFWatch – USD 230 million was transferred to Georgia in the first quarter of 2012 as direct investments.

Nika Gilauri, Georgia’s Prime Minister this at a government session Wednesday. The figure is based on preliminary data of National Statistics Department, GeoStat.

He explained that this is 32 percent more than in the first quarter of 2011.

“It was USD 174 million in first quarter last year and this a very good increase.”

The Prime Minister noted that this is directly related to the creation of jobs, because direct investments is money which comes from abroad, as new and old enterprises are rehabilitated.

In addition, Gilauri said the rate of investment is usually low in the first quarter of a year, and now an increase in investments is making him hope that this year’s total investments will overcome the rate of investments in 2011, which totaled one billion dollars.