The Daily Beat: 6 January
The Belgian Police confirmed the death of Georgian national, Liza Kistauri, found in an apartment in Antwerp. She rose to become a Georgian celebrity as one of the first openly transgender women. In 2018, Kitsiauri emigrated to Belgium, reportedly seeking safety.
25 high-power generators, worth GEL 1.5 million (USD 560 thousand) donated by the government of Georgia were unloaded in Ukraine. The Ministry of Economy said the Georgian embassy in Kyiv will ensure delivery across the country. The crowdfunding campaign “Share the Light” also managed the purchase and delivery of 338 smaller power generators for Ukraine in late December. The campaigners responded first to the Ukrainian officials’ request, which pushed the reluctant government to catch up.
Don’t miss a beat!
The government created a commission to shortlist the candidates for heading the new Anti-Corruption Bureau. The Prime Minister will appoint the bureau chief for a six-year term, out of two to five shortlisted candidates. The head of PM Garibashvili’s administration will head the commission. The acting head of the Ombudsman’s office and the representative of Transparency International – Georgia, a corruption watchdog, are also included. The latter comes as a surprise since TI-Georgia was among civil society groups recently targeted by the government and its affiliated media.
The annual inflation rate stood at 9.8% in December, the statistics office reported. Monthly consumer prices fell slightly by 0.3%. The inflation rate was mainly driven by considerable price growth in almost all primary consumption products, with food, housing, and fuel prices rising fast.