On January 26, 2017, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) conducted its 13th Consultative Board Meeting, attended by the board members, Commission Chairs, ambassadors, bankers, and senior representatives of Georgian businesses. The Georgian government was represented by Mr. Giorgi Gakharia, the Minister of the Economy and Sustainable Development, and his deputy, Ms. Keti Bochorishvili.

Acting in his capacity as Chair of ICC’s Economic Commission, Mr. Eric Livny analyzed the 4-point plan of reforms, introduced by the Government of Georgia at the end of last year, and raised the business community’s concerns about some of the new measures, including changes in the corporate, VAT and excise taxes, as well as the recently announced ‘larizarion’ and pension reform initiatives.

His presentation was followed by a lively discussion focusing on the impact of these reforms on Georgia’s social fabric, on the one hand, and business development and GDP growth, on the other hand.