Shevardnadze Praises Newly Appointed Finance Minister

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, July 15, 2002) – “Mirian Gogiashvili has been successful on his position. I give extremely high evaluation to his work”, President Eduard Shevardnadze stated in his radio interview today.

Finance Minister was able to deal with some difficult institutional problems, which supported increase of tax revenues, Shevardnadze said.

Mirian Gogiashvili replaced Zurab Nogaideli on post of the Finance Minister in May. According to the President, the new Minister made a quite realistic and hopeful account in June.

Gap in the first half of the 2002 budget is up to 70 million Lari (35 million USD).