Cash Register Protesters Rally Outside President’s Administration

About 3 thousand protesters gathered outside the Parliament on Match 9 to express protest against the new regulations imposed for the outdoor market vendors.

The rally, which was organized by opposition New Rights and Labor Party, as well as Democratic Front parliamentary faction (uniting Conservative and Republican parties), was launched at 4 p.m. Later leader of Freedom Party Koko Gamsakhurdia also joined the rally.

By the evening protesters moved outside the President’s Administration near the Parliament and demanded from the executive authorities to hold talks with the opposition leaders and protests to solve the problem related with cash registers.

According to the law, those sellers who are not using cash registers starting from March 1 will have to pay a GEL 500 (USD 278) fine. The Finance Ministry claims that the law became necessary in order to register sellers’ revenues and subject these revenues to tax inspection. Although some sellers have already bought cash registers, another part claims they can not afford to purchase cash registers and demand to pay fixed tax rates.

Opposition Democratic Front parliamentary faction has offered the Parliament to postpone enforcement of the new regulation for several months and impose fixed tax rates for outdoor market vendors. But the authorities say they will not compromise over this issue.

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