“ARCHEOLOGISTS” DISCOVER 10 BILLIONS IN ANAKLIA

Otar Kiria

A year ago Georgia had announced the tender on port-building in Anaklia (Samegrelo region). The international consortia Industria, the Georgian side of which as well as the author is the Georgian Concern Egrisi – the only participant, has won the tender.

Project costs 10 billion dollars and, besides the port, implies tourist, transport, medical and urbanization purposes out as well as inside of Samegrelo region. There’s a chance that the above project may settle the Abkhazian problem. Government of Georgia invests nothing, it only upholds the authors.
On 7 April 2001, President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze had issued the Order N7 on an investment program called Egrisi. According to order, with the purpose to support the economic development of Georgia and Europe-Caucasus-Asian transport corridor, the investment program Egrisi will be implemented by international consortia Industria – the owner and investor of the Egrisi program.
The initiator and author of the Egrisi program is Concern Egrisi governed by Dr. Zurab Chikovani. Egrisi had been registered in 1993 in Zugdidi. Secondary registration dated in 1996. From the very beginning, Egrisi is orientated on port-building in Anaklia as well as other parts of the Egrisi project.
As the result of eighth-year hard work, Z. Chikovani could invite 30 large companies from different countries. Companies are united in one – The International Consortia Industria (as well as Concern Egrisi), which is the legal owner of program. As the president of Industria appears Valentina Moskalenko (Ukraine – President of Insurance Company Oplot), and Zurab Chikovani (Georgia – Concern Egrisi) – as the General Director. Besides Georgia and Ukraine, Industria unifies companies from Azerbaijan, Saudi Arab, Canada, USA, Hong-Kong, Switzerland etc.
The Government of Ukraine supports project. Namely, the Vice-Premier of Ukraine Vasiliy Koshivetz, one of the owners of Ukraine’s largest oil and gas company that contributes 30% of revenues in the Budget of Ukraine.
As to participation of Government of Georgia, it could be represented with only upholding and nothing more, as Georgia invests neither natural resource, nor finances and provides no financial warrant for the project. The above upholding implies: The Government Regulation of Ministerial Cabinet on providing maximal support to the Egrisi project; The above Presidential Order on 7th of April 2001; and signatures by 8 of Ministers of Georgia including, Ivan Chkhartishvili (Economics, Trade and Industry), Mikheil Saakashvili (Justice), Zurab Nogaideli (Finance), Merab Adeishvili (Transport), David Mirtskhulava (Fool Energy) as well as Petre Mamradze (President Chancellery), Temur Basilia (President Chancellery) and Bondo Jikia (President Chancellery).
Soso Dgebuadze, Deputy President of Concern Egrisi: “There is no responsibility or expense Government of Georgia carries on at this sight. It invests neither resource, nor finance. The above Order is important for foreign investors to be sure that allocated amounts won’t be settled for drug-business, or any of military and political purposes”.
Here we’d point one important question that the only participant in tender and the winner thereof was Industria. According to tender conditions, participant should have provided the project on the port with turnover of 5 million tones of load and the Bank Guarantee of 1 million US dollars. Only Egrisi could satisfy those and consequently, it won the contest.
S. Dgebuadze: “The Egrisi project won and closed the tender. Instead of 5 million tones required by tender preconditions, Egrisi had presented the project on 78 tones of turnover. We look ahead. According to existing information, West Georgia has to pass the load of 150 tones per year. At this sight, five millions per year are too small. During the visit in England, Mr. President and Minister for Transport of Georgia, Merab Adeishvili have declared that tender condition should have increased up to 50 tones per year. Thereof, suggestion by Egrisi was excellent”.
Emerges the question: Who does give the guarantee and where did Egrisi get money for eight-year visits and international negotiations, or even receiving guests? As Dgebuadze declares, foreign partners have financed all.
Now about project itself. Totally, it does cost 10 billion US dollars. It sets up in July 2001 and completes in 2012. Project is divided in some parts. The first one covers projection works those will be provided by Canadian Company Acromalenko.
The second stage covers preparing works those imply the arrangement of construction bases. As there is no company in Georgia implementing port-building works, the same foreigners will share experience and provide main part of building works.
S. Dgebuadze: “Preparing works imply the arrangement of construction bases. Most important, at that sight, is to dig the land about 17-18 meters deep, to build 200-300 meters length corridor through the see and other specified works, specialists of which practically do not exist in Georgia. Thereof we have to invite foreign experts, create own groups and implement works ourselves. Another important question is the reconstruction of building bases that requires a number of special works non-experienced here. Local workers relying on knowledge shared with invited foreign professionals will hold concrete works. All the equipment is going to be brought from partner countries”.
The second stage will last a year, bringing to the port-building works at last. Port will cost 400 millions. According to estimates by Egrisi experts, for 2012 Georgia will pass a number of times more load then today. See the tables 1 and 2.
The next stage of project covers civil buildings. Namely, as Dgebuadze declares, project implies to build the dwelling houses for approximately 200 000 inhabitants. Houses will be built in response to the recent world standards at both, technical and design sights. The most of population in new block of Samegrelo region will be the people employed in the Egrisi project implementation.
S. Dgebuadze: “Each person employed in entire project may receive an apartment in new buildings. Apartments won’t be gratis as communists did. They will have to cover the amount along with salaries, paying for certain duration”.
The transport part of project covers construction of AutoRoute around the Black Sea as well as local roads. Namely, transit road that will help to make a detour round Zugdidi to reach Anaklia. Project also implies to build the roads Anaklia-Sokhumi, Anaklia-Tbilisi and Anaklia-Poti. The above mentioned Anaklia-Sokhumi is going to be lengthened to Kirim (Ukraine) in future.
One of the most important questions of the Egrisi project is its tourist and recreation parts. According to Dgebuadze, project is going to reconstruct Ushba, Anaklia, Tsaishi and Lugela resorts.
FOR NOTE: In response to international standards, Ushba is one of the best places for mountain sports; Anaklia coast is the best in Georgia, as is reach with magnetite; Tsaishi is famous with its waters; Lugela is inimitable in its beauty and natural minerals.
S. Dgebuadze: “We’re going to restore all the routs popular in soviet times, as they had a solid share in economic sector of Georgia. In all of the four resorts we plan to build the hotels, restaurants, clubs and other vacation spot needed for high-class resort responding to recent requirements”.
Another important part of project is construction of medical complex in Zugdidi. Our foreign partners will carry technical responsibilities as well as equipment and construction directions. Complex will have diagnostic, surgery and preventive centers. According to statements by project authors, each patient appealed to the above hospital will receive medical aid of all services, so that it won’t have to leave for abroad to continue prevention. Should also be mentioned that project implies some allowances for pensioners, cooperators and youth.
One more and the most commercial, to our opinion, part of project is extraction and production of drinking spring waters. Egrisi will itself extract, produce and then export water abroad. Water will pass special laboratory tests operated by concerned state structure. As authors declare, this new business will noticeably increase revenues in local and central budgets.
All highlighted above gives a birth to question of how many people will the entire project employ, are the cadres completed and what are the probable contributions in state budget?
S. Dgebuadze: “The first stage that flows till the end of current year will employ approximately 1000 people, which will increase up to 2000 by next one. As to entire figures, it finally comprises 30000 employers. The question of cadres is in process of formation at the moment. As to probable contribution, it’s too premature to speak about budget contribution at the stage when even amounts for working are not transferred”.
Rather important question is financial transfers and banking. Namely, which bank will serve for the Egrisi project and as Dgebuadze declares, for the beginning it will be United Georgian Bank. For the following stages Egrisi is going to establish own bank.
You may agree that project is grandiose. From today’s look eight-year work by Zurab Chikovani really impresses, as it’s too difficult to invite 30 investors with 10 billion portfolio in the country, where political and military uncertainties are permanently in force, where conflicts are endless, corruption deepens by day, life standards are below the minimum wage and economic crisis is huge ever.
In such conditions, attraction of 10 billion dollars, creation of 30000 new jobs, prioritization of tourist and port business as an economic strategy of Georgia and expansion of business about two times are what really saves Georgia.
Another important consideration, for us, in this issue was that authors are so easy to project and prepare reconstruction and recreation processes in such hot for today places as Sokhumi and Ochamchire that we suppose Abkhazian problem is going to be solved soon. Namely, if the Egrisi project is able to build the road Anaklia-Sokhumi, the ports in Sokhumi and Ochamchire, we may say that soon, Abkhazia will be back to its right place – Georgia. God knows!