Irakli Lekvinadze, Chairman of the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency, attended the 14th Local Economic Development Forum, organized by Tbilisi city hall.
Irakli Lekvinadze highlighted the reforms, results, and relevant genuine concerns in the areas of competition and consumer protection during the session titled "Strengthening local businesses for economic sustainability."
"From 2014 to the present, the Agency issued 100 mandatory recommendations to build a fair and competitive business climate, including 63 to state and local self-government organizations, 24 to undertakings, and 13 to the pharmaceutical industry. The investigation of 56 cases and 13 market monitoring concluded with actual findings. Effective control over company concentration is proceeding, with 37 approvals issued as of today for the concentration of undertakings in various areas. The emphasis on consumer protection is increasing. It is important that the consumer knows they are not alone when dealing with the trader. In case of violations, they can contact us to protect their rights. "Currently, the Agency has around 900 applications on record. Regarding anti-dumping measures, we have closed 2 cases - one concerning the alleged dumping price of filter cigarettes imported from Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the other involved 3 sectoral monitoring of the local industry in the food, fertilizer, and construction sectors," stated Irakli Lekvinadze during his speech.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze opened the forum with the title “Healthy City – Green, Ecologically Clean Environment, Flexible and Sustainable Urban Development”. The event was attended by Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili, Giorgi Tkemaladze, Chairman of Tbilisi City Municipal Assembly , and the Mayors of Baku, Ganji, and Gyumri. Members of the Cabinet of Ministers and Parliament, as well as officials from other state bodies, local governments, ambassadors, and 25 guests from 15 countries, were also attended.
In order to exchange innovative ideas and make effective decisions, the participants discussed the following important issues, within the framework of the event: healthy city, promoting renewable energy consumption and development, fostering sustainable socio-economic development, using a healthy city as a characteristic and indicator in the development of sustainable tourism, implementing circular economy for sustainable development, embracing modern technologies and fostering the startup environment in Georgia and the region, promoting civic engagement and participation, strengthening local businesses for economic sustainability, and exploring the impact of healthy living on the city economy.
