Imereti at Glance
Location Imereti Region is located in the center of Georgia. It is the Transportation and Tourist Hub of Georgia
Area and Population Population - 535 700 Area - 11 379 km² Luxemburg Montenegro
Administrative Division Administrative Center Kutaisi, where Georgian Parliament is located Municipalities 12 Communities 161 Villages 544
Transport Network European route E 60 King David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport
Distances from Kutaisi From To Distance Kutaisi Tbilisi - Capital 220 km Batumi - Seaside Poti - Seaport Sarpi - Border with Turkey Strasburg Brussels 130 km 102 km 160 km 3000 km 3661 km
Flight Connections from Kutaisi International Airport From To Kutaisi Berlin Barcelona London Moscow Milan Warsaw Prague Budapest Paris Athens Munich Minsk Dortmund The Saloniki Vilnius Katowice
2. Economy
Natural Resources of the Region Economic potential of the region Baghdati Brick earth - 227000 m 3 Fresh water- 129600 m 3 Sachkhere Quartz sand for glass production - 11236000 t. Quarts spar sand- - 51736000 m 3 Marble like limestone- 367000 m 3 Brick earth - 6935000 m 3 Fresh water - 578800 m 3 Mineral water (balneo therapy) - 153 m 3 Samtredia Sand - 1540000 m 3 Brick earth - 1329000 m 3 Fresh water- 136000 m 3 Tkibuli Limestone- 69747000 m 3 Sandstone- 1682300 m 3 Teschenite - 2523000 m 3
Natural Resources of the Region Terjola Limestone- 35756000 m 3 ; 155158000 t. Plasma- 3760000 t. Spongolite- 15545000 t. Brick earth - 331000 m 3. Sand for cement- 52070000 t. Breccia- 393000 m 3 Fresh water- 298000 m 3 Mineral water (balneo therapy) - 415 m 3 Chiatura Basalt- 8637000 t. Limestone- 45141000 m 3 Quarts spar sand- 59496000 m 3 Marble like limestone- 748000 m 3 Brick earth - 5880000 m 3 Fresh water- 280000 m 3 Vani Limestone- 13507000 m 3 Freshwater- 442000 m 3 Mineral water (balneo therapy) - 329 m 3 Tskaltubo Calcite- 5529000 t. Basalt- 7797000 m 3 Bentonite clay - 12290537 t. Limestone_ 2009000 m 3 Brick earth - 425000 m 3 Tuff- 3417000 m 3 Breccia - 5973300 m 3 Fresh water- 438000 m 3
Natural Resources of the Region Economic potential of the region Khoni Kharagauli Basalt- 6490000 m 3. Natural paint (Mummy) - 437000 t. Calcite- 553000 t. Limestone- 187678000 m 3. Brick earth- 3683000 m 3. Fresh water- 407000 m 3. Zestafoni Fire resistant clay - 2042000 m 3. Marbled limestone- 250000 m 3. Granite- 36394000 m 3. Ceramic clay- 257000 m 3. Limestone - 534000 m 3. Pegmatite- 3611000 m 3. Plasma - 359000 t. Brick earth- 3233000 m 3. Fresh water- 298000 m 3. Diorite - 69506000 m 3. Marbled limestone- 4342000 m 3. Onyx - 470 m 3. Granite- 267397 00 m 3. Limestone - 10429000 m 3. Marble like limestone- 709000 m 3. Marble - 4440000 m 3. Quarts spar sand - 3408000 t. Fresh water- 188000 m 3.
Production Value and Type of Economic Activity in 2016 Activities Mln. GEL Fishing 0.8 Education 6.1 Agriculture, hunting and forestry 7.7 Community, social and personal service 70.4 activities Transport and communication 22.9 Electricity, gas and water supply 45.2 Hotels and restaurants 32.4 Real estate, renting and business activities 48.3 Mining and Quarrying 78.1 Health and social work 88.2 Construction 133.6 Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor 1086.9 vehiclesand personaland household goods Manufacturing 757.8
Distribution of Population by Economic Status in 2016 Not-identified worker- 1600 0.4% Unemployed - 40.800 10.9% Hired - 108,900 28.9% Self- employed-225.400 59.8%
Prices of economic resources (including VAT) Electricity - 0,085 $ (kw) Water- 1,9 $ (m 3 ) Natural gas- 0,31 $ (m 3 ) Construction fee - 0,44 $ (1 m 2 )
Taxes VAT - 18% (Export is taxed at a zero rate) Income tax - 20% Profit tax - 15% (Reinvested profit is not taxed!) Property tax- 1% Excise - differentiated
Hualing Free Industrial Zone (FIZ) Territory in the city of Kutaisi with a special tax-free regime. Since 16 October 2015, Hualing Free Industrial Zone has started operating in Kutaisi. Planed investment amounts to over 40 mln. GEL; The Free Industrial Zone is located on 36 ha, license life time equals to 30 year (until 2045). The main profiles of operations are: Timber recycling, Furniture and Paper production. Furthermore Hualing group is open for cooperation to invest in light industry Profit gained by an international enterprise from an activity carried out in FIZ is exempt from profit tax. FIZ incorporated entities are exempt from property tax. No VAT applies to goods produced in other countries and imported into the FIZ. Supply of goods/services among enterprises of FIZ is VAT exempt. No Customs duty applies to goods produced in other countries and imported into the FIZ. The export of goods produced in the FIZ within Georgian territory is free from customs duty. No foreign exchange controls, trade barriers of quotas. No restrictions on capital repatriation.
Business Support Programs Invest in Georgia http://www.investingeorgia.org/en Produce in Georgia http://qartuli.ge/ Enterprise Georgia http://enterprisegeorgia.gov.ge/en/home Host in Georgia http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/hotel-industry-incentive/ Start-up Georgia http://startup.gov.ge/geo/home Film in Georgia http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/film-in-georgia/ Micro & Small Business support http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/micro-and-small-business/ Mountainous Regions Development http://qartuli.ge/eng/main/mountain-development/ Plant The Future http://apma.ge/projects/read/ Agro-production Promotion http://apma.ge/projects/read/agricultural_industry/ Preferential Agro Credit Project http://apma.ge/projects/read/agro_credit/ Co-financing Agro Processing & Storage Enterprises http://apma.ge/projects/read/grant/
საერთაშორისო სავაჭრო ურთიერთობები Through free trade agreements (DCFTA; EFTA) Georgia has access to the 900- million markets, which are not taxed, including: Turkey, EU and CIS. DCFTA enables Georgia to gradually receive 3 out of 4 freedoms of EU s internal market: free movement of goods, services and capital. The fourth freedom - free movement of labor is promoted by visa liberalization process. During the ongoing year free trade agreement will be signed with China. სახელმწიფო რწმუნებულის გუბერნატორი ს ადმინისტრაცია იმერეთში
Partnership Fund Established in 2011 100% State owned Fitch rating "BB- (Outlook Stable) Total Equity Value $1.4 bln Total Assets -$3 bln Priority Sectors Energy Agribusiness Real Estate and Tourism Manufacturing Infrastructure and Logistics www.fund.ge
Banks Operating in Imereti Region
International Cooperation In 2016 Imereti region received observer status at the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and from 2017 Imereti region became a full-fledged member of the AER; Imereti Region is twinned with the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region of Poland, Vidzeme Region of Latvia, Hungarian Vas county and Poltava Region of Ukraine; Currently, negotiations are underway to twin Imereti with the Czech Zlin Region, to be finished this year; With the active support of the Administration of the State Representative- Governor in Imereti, all 12 municipalities of the region befriended with the different municipalities from the Europe; Imereti Region has become a member of European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA) quite recently.
3. Culture and Education
Kutaisi Ancient Capital of Colchis In Argonautica, a Greek epic poem about Jason and the Argonauts and their journey to Colchis, author Apollonius Rhodius considered Kutaisi their final destination as well as the residence of King Aeetes. Golden Fleece is depicted on the coat of arms of the Kutaisi Municipality.
UNESCO World Heritage Monuments Bagrati Cathedral XI century Gelati Monastery Complex XII century
Universities Akaki Tsereteli State University Established in 1933 http://atsu.edu.ge/eng/ Number of students: more than 10.000 Faculties of Arts, Social Sciences, Exact and Natural Sciences, Engineering, Pedagogic, Technological Medicine, Engineering, Technical Maritime Transport, Agrarian, etc. New Technological University will be established in Kutaisi within the coming years, which will become a regional education and research hub by building the largest, modern university complex in the Caucasus. University City will be spread over 140 Ha of land in the outskirts of Kutaisi and will be able to receive 60,000 students. Academic and research programs as well as the organizational structure and development plan for Georgia s new university complex in Kutaisi will be developed in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
4. Tourism
Tourism in Imereti Tourism is the fastest growing economic field in Imereti There are more than 1200 historical and natural monuments in Imereti 1.360.000 tourists visited Imereti in 2016, 41% foreign tourists among them 54 hotels, 65 hostels, 136 guest houses just in Kutaisi Hotel Best Western Kutaisi was opened in 2017 In 2018 Courtyard Marriott will be opened as well in Kutaisi
Tourism in Imereti Dinosaur s footprints at the Sataplia Resort Prometheus Cave is located 20 km away from Kutaisi. 1600 meters route and the boat ride along the underground river.
Spa and Balneology Resorts Sairme Bagdadi Municipality Nunisi Kharagauli Municipality Spa Tskaltubo Municipality Spa Tskaltubo Municipality