Justice Minister Against Electricity Tax Increase

(Tbilisi, August 13, 2003, Civil Georgia) – At an August 13 governmental session, Minister of Justice Roland Giligashvili said that the decision of the National Energy Regulatory Commission (NERC) to increase the electricity tax is groundless.

On August 8, the NERC submitted a proposal to increase the electricity tax to the Justice Ministry for consideration. Increasing the electricity tax is one of the recommendations made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“The Constitutional Court ruled [last December] that raising the electricity tax would be il!
legal, thus we should take this decision into account ,” Roland Giligashvili said.

Giligashvili’s statement was rejected by State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze. “Protest rallies held by political parties should not have any influence on the government,” Jorbenadze said, hinting at the recent rallies held by the opposition Labor Party and National Movement on August 11. They were protesting against the electricity tax increase.

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