SME committee starts working

Nino Arveladze

A wave of world crisis has passed Georgia. New epoch is associated with SMEs.
Georgia remembers the years when being a businessman was fashionable. Current complicated situation has bankrupted small business. Fresh blood is required in order to move employment vector to small business and add confidence to the people who still desire to start business in Georgia.
MEs committee has been established in Georgia for the support of SME strengthening. The presentation of the committee was held in hotel Radisson SAS Iveria on Dec-17 with the support of Friedrich Hebert Foundation. The members of the committee are the experienced and celebrated organizations working in Georgia over the years, studying problematic issues and seeking solutions. Following organizations have been presented in the committee: US Chamber of Commerce (President David Lee, Executive Director Amy Denman), Civil Movement “Solidarity”, Business and Economic Centre, Business Council of the EU and Georgia, Eurasia Cooperation Foundation, Catoni&Co, UNDP, Scientific- Analytic Magazine “Economy of Georgia”, Enterprise Innovative Development Centre, Georgian business development centre Caucasus, TBC Bank, GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH), Bank of Georgia and economic experts.
Civil movement Solidarity, together with the centre of Business and Economics, economic experts and other organizations has been working on development of SMEs for almost over a year. As a result a draft on Small Business has been elaborated (See, magazine Economy of Georgia” 2009, No4, No9). Hopefully the mentioned draft will be introduced to the parliament in the nearest future. Development and support of small business as a leading link of economic policy is carrying a big role in the country’s economic and social development. Effectiveness of SME support depends on clear definition of goals and their proper distribution. SME Committee has been established with specific goals:
· Improve development of SMEs;
· Encourage entrepreneurship with the development of relevant skills, in order to help small companies to become medium and medium one to become big;
· Develop necessary mechanisms of business productivity;
· Work on availability of finances;
· Encourage investments in human capital, innovative projects, in researches and progress.
The newly established committee will make efforts to work out qualified recommendations on reforms by means of regular discussions, debates, and analysis of international situation; by means of revealing weaknesses and strengths of existing economic programs for the purpose of improving future activity; by involving governmental institutions working on business issues into public liaison it is possible to create corresponding legislative base for SMEs that reveals the future of sector’s development that is considered as one of the main links in economy of Georgia.
SME Committee members are:
Amy Denman – US Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director
Kakha kokhreidze – Civil Movements Solidarity, Manager
Archil Bakuradze – Business and Economic Centre, Director
Konstantin Zaldastanishvili – EU-Georgia Business Council, Secretary General
Tamar Khuntsaria – EU-Georgia Business Council, Representative in Georgia
Keti Sidamonidze – US Chamber of Commerce, Project Manager
Victor Baramia – Eurasia Cooperation Foundation
Goga Kvaratskhelia – Business and Economic Centre, Executive Director
Irakli Bokuchava – Catoni&Co, Director
Heidi Eterovich – UNDP, Global Compact Project Manager
Nino Kizikurashvili – UNDP, Project Analyst
Emzar Jgerenaia – TSU Professor, Economic Expert
Tamaz Vashakidze – Enterprise Innovative Development Centre, Chief
Sergo Baramidze – Georgian Business Development Centre Caucasus, Director
Nino Masurashvili – TBC Bank, SMEs department
Betsy Haskel – US Chamber of Commerce, Member of Board of Directors
Iorg Oeschlager – US Chamber of Commerce, Member of Board of Directors
Baia Fshavishvili -Bank of Georgia, SMEs department
Revaz Gigilashvili – Economic Expert