Friday, October
17th, 2008 - Executive Coffee
Offer for AmCham members for wage and benefits survey produced
by TBSC. Presentation of product offer by Paul Clark, TBSC.
AmCham Georgia,
AGBC, USDoC aim to double US investment in Georgia over next year.
Trade
Mission & Business Summit of historic proportions
coming to Tbilisi, Georgia October 26-28, 2008
Georgian
IT Innovation Conference
- October 29-30, Tbilisi
Doing
Business 2009 Report - provides objective measures of
business regulations and their enforcement across 181 economies
and selected cities at the subnational and regional level. Georgia
ranks 15th in the World for Ease of Doing Business 2009. Up from
a ranking of 21. To see Georgia specific data click
here.
(posted
on Sept-10, 2008)
Business
Information Published by the Government of Georgia - how
is the Georgian economy doing? Keep up to date on important fiscal
and economic information in Georgia.
Association
for Protection of Landowners Rights (APLR) launches professional
training and certification programs for real estate appraisers.
(posted
on Sept-17, 2008)
Saturday, October 11, 2008 - Georgia after
the War: Exclusive AmCham meeting with three top international
experts
On
Saturday, October 11 AmCham members had an exclusive discussion
with three renown experts on the events leading up to the war
with Russia, Georgia's prospects for NATO membership and the economic
realities following the war.
AmCham Georgia,
in cooperation with the New Economic School, had the opportunity
to listen to three private lectures on Georgia's economic and
political situation following the August war on Saturday, October
11.
Andrei
Illarionov, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute's Center for
Global Liberty and Prosperity, Mart
Laar, Former Prime Minister of Estonia and Sally
MacNamara, Senior Policy Analyst in European Affairs, Margaret
Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation spoke to
members about Russia's role in planning the war and the economic
reality following the armed conflict.
According
to Illarionov, who was a former advisor to Vladimir Putin during
his presidency, the Kremlin began planning the war almost five
years ago. He stressed that the armed conflict was not about Abkhazia
and South Ossetia. Rather, he maintained, it was just one part
of a world wide Russian campaign to reinstate Russian dominance.
"What
was the real goal of the almost five years preparation...it is
regime change. Regime change not only and not so much personal
regime change. It was some sort of systemic regime change,"
he said.
Illarionov
noted that the real goal was regime change and Georgia's biggest
threat and obstacle today is "overcoming the psychological
shock" of Russia's actions.
He advised
the Georgian population and government to "postpone"
any decision about the fate of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Instead,
he stressed that Georgia won the war since it resisted regime
change and forced Russia to expose its plans.
"Lets
postpone the solution of these issues for some time and lets concentrate
on some other issues on Georgian territory," he said. "It
is much more important to bring country out of the psychological
shock and psychological crisis."
Sally MacNamara
highlighted the very real obstacles now facing Georgia and its
pursuit of NATO membership. She noted that both NATO and the European
Union responded inadequately to the Russian threat and stressed
that Germany's continued position to block Georgia from receiving
MAP is a Russian victory.
"[Russia]
sent a very clear message about their geo political intentions
and a preview of what is to come. We can't afford to ignore this
any longer," she said.
However MacNamara
noted that there is little evidence either Germany or the European
Union is ready to challenge Moscow.
Mart Laar
highlighted the fact that Georgia was victorious since it resisted
regime change. However he noted that now the government - and
society - needs to be watchful on how the aid money is used and
spent so the country does not jeopardize its economic reforms.
All three
speakers stressed the evidence that points to Russia initiating
the conflict well before August 8. They all underlined the need
for an international investigation into the causes of the war.
The event
was supported by USAID's SME Support Project and held at the Sheraton
Metechi Palace hotel.
view
more pictures>>>
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
the
Board of Directors of AmCham Georgia met with Ambassador Veroneau,
Deputy US Trade Representative and members of the USTR delegation.
Topics discussed were - affect of war on American businesses operating
in Georgia, specific ways in which investor confidence could be
restored in the shortest time possible, and the AmCham/AGBC Investment
Summit on October 27. The Board also briefed the delegation on
specific areas in which Georgia can continue its business reform,
including Judicial Capacity building for Commercial Law, and workshops
on meeting phyto-sanitary standards for Georgian exporters to
the US.
Tuesday,
September 30, 2008 - High Level Trade Delegation Comes to Georgia
Georgian
exporters - including wine exporters - will have more access to
the U.S. market if Congress accepts a proposal expanding their
rights under the American Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
According
to Marideth Sandler, a representative from the Office of U.S.
Trade, the proposal would allow Georgian companies to export more
products under the duty-free regime, including wine. Currently
Georgia can export over 3000 types of products within the GSP
framework.
Sandler was
speaking with Georgian businesses and exporters during an educational
forum about the GSP program Tuesday, September 30 at the Tbilisi
Marriot. AmCham Georgia participated in the forum as part of its
initiative to encourage more trade relations between the two countries.
The forum
was part of a three day working visit from a high level U.S. Trade
delegation. On Tuesday evening, Kent Longsdon, the US Embassy's
Deputy Chief of Mission, hosted a wine reception for the mission
at his home in Tbilisi.
Georgia is
currently one of the most active countries under the GSP program:
according to Sandler, $63.3 million in trade was conducted within
GSP, saving exporters $2.6 million in duties in 2007. Total trade
between the two countries was $188 million last year, up from
$116 million in 2006.
However Sandler
noted that only 17 out of the possible 3400 products are being
exported from Georgia to the United States within the program.
She also noted that there is a "trend" of inconsistency
- Georgian products will appear on the market one year but disappear
the following year.
"[Georgian]
export potential is not fully realized," she said. "[The
United States] is very interested in being a destination for [Georgian]
exports."
For more information
about the program and which products are eligible, please
visit this link.
view
more pictures>>>
Thursday, September 18, 2008 - AmCham Business
Roundtable
US
Ambassador John Tefft and French Ambassador Eric Fournier met
privately with AmCham members and invited guests on Thursday.
The US Ambassador in his speech spoke on the details of the US
assistance to Georgia. He explained how the funds (1 bln USD)
allocated for rehabilitation of the country after the recent military
attack would be distributed, from Georgian budget to infrastructure
to construction of new homes for the refugees to long term economic
development. He also mentioned that along with the financial support,
several high-ranking officials are still to arrive in Georgia
in the coming weeks and months to prepare grounds and participate
in several business forums and trade missions with the aim to
promote Georgia as an investment destination; to this end, a Georgian
Business Forum (with support from AmCham Georgia) is scheduled
on October 27 to be held in Tbilisi, the details will be made
available soon at www.amcham.ge.
The French
Ambassador Eric Fournier presented the chronicle of the war in
Georgia and the efforts taken by the European leaders to provide
fast and efficient response to the military crisis in Georgia,
he also elaborated on the provisions of the 6-point cease-fire
document. The speeches of both Ambassadors were followed by numerous
questions from the floor as well as by messages from the private
sector to the respective governments of the US and EU, on what
aspects of Georgian economy would need special attention, from
an audience that represented American, international and Georgian
businesses.
Thank
you to the French Ambassador Eric Fournier >>>
view
more pictures>>>
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