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The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 15 2008
Railway privatization plan meets resistance in parliament
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Friday, February 15
MP Lado Papava warned against privatizing state rail company Georgian
Railways at a February 12 parliamentary session.
`The government should consider the current regional situation and I
ask them not to privatize the railway,' the newspaper Akhali Taoba
quoted him as saying.
He emphasized that Armenian Railways is being transferred to Russian
management, and warned that the recent founding of the South
Caucasian Railways company, which is fully owned by Russian Railways
and will manage Armenian Railways, is an ominous sign.
`Looking at this agreement it is clear who wants to capture Georgia's
strategic asset, and this would damage the country too much,' the
newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika quoted him as saying.
Parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze responded by saying parliament
will keep a watchful eye on any bids in the Georgian Railways tender.
`The appropriate committees will conduct active consultations with
the government on this issue, and parliament must agree to any
decision,' Burjanadze said, according to the newspaper Akhali Taoba.
The Ministry of Economic Development is currently considering five
bids in a tender for the state-owned Georgian Railways. Each bidding
company was required to submit a development plan for the railway and
specify how much capital they propose to invest; however, the
ministry says it is not yet decided whether, or to what degree, the
railway will be privatized.
Feb 15 2008
Railway privatization plan meets resistance in parliament
By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Friday, February 15
MP Lado Papava warned against privatizing state rail company Georgian
Railways at a February 12 parliamentary session.
`The government should consider the current regional situation and I
ask them not to privatize the railway,' the newspaper Akhali Taoba
quoted him as saying.
He emphasized that Armenian Railways is being transferred to Russian
management, and warned that the recent founding of the South
Caucasian Railways company, which is fully owned by Russian Railways
and will manage Armenian Railways, is an ominous sign.
`Looking at this agreement it is clear who wants to capture Georgia's
strategic asset, and this would damage the country too much,' the
newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika quoted him as saying.
Parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze responded by saying parliament
will keep a watchful eye on any bids in the Georgian Railways tender.
`The appropriate committees will conduct active consultations with
the government on this issue, and parliament must agree to any
decision,' Burjanadze said, according to the newspaper Akhali Taoba.
The Ministry of Economic Development is currently considering five
bids in a tender for the state-owned Georgian Railways. Each bidding
company was required to submit a development plan for the railway and
specify how much capital they propose to invest; however, the
ministry says it is not yet decided whether, or to what degree, the
railway will be privatized.