State Minister Urges for Aid, as Country Faces Economic Crisis

Newly appointed State Minister of Georgia Zurab Zhvania said today that the country faces grave economic crisis.

?According to our calculations, by the end of January 2004 the budgetary shortfall will amount to GEL 270 millions [up to USD 122 million]. The situation is alarming with pensions and salaries, as well as allowances for IDPs. The situation is too grave in the army as well,? Zurab Zhvania said at a special news briefing on December 1. 

He said Interim President Nino Burjanadze, who left for Maastricht on November 30 to participate in the session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, will submit to the donor countries a list of problems which need urgent resolution. 

?We have distributed this list among the embassies in Georgia to figure out what kind of assistance we need and what kind of assistance the particular donor state can provide ,? Zurab Zhvania added. 

?We even need food aid for the prisons and the army,? he stated.

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