The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) allocated €5 million loan for municipal infrastructure modernization in Bakuriani winter resort of Georgia.

According to the information provided on the web-page of the European Bank, the financing will help to acquire special vehicles for street cleaning, snow removal and waste collection, as well as to purchase multi-purpose trucks, and 10 modern buses for passenger transport.

The new low-floor buses will considerably reduce emissions in this popular mountain and ski resort and offer more comfortable journeys. The EBRD is also providing technical cooperation funding aimed at training and promoting women for bus-driver roles.

“This project will help to improve the quality of municipal services and safety measures in an important resort town. Improving Georgia’s municipal infrastructure, especially in the regions, is of paramount importance for the EBRD. The project will also help promote gender equality across the workforce,” said Catarina Bjorlin Hansen, EBRD Regional Director for the Caucasus.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Georgia. Since the start of its operations in the country, the Bank has invested over €3.8 billion in 252 projects there, in the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with 89 per cent of these investments in the private sector.