GCCA Chair: 2025 annual report underscores competition across strategic markets and landmark consumer protection results

The Chairman of the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA), Irakli Lekvinadze, has presented the agency’s 2025 annual activity report during a hearing of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee in Parliament. Members of Parliament, agency representatives, and industry experts attended the committee session.

Lekvinadze briefed MPs on competition enforcement policies, consumer rights protection, and anti-dumping legislation.

According to the report, the agency concluded four investigations in 2025, confirming abuses of dominant market position in two cases, monitored seven strategic markets, completed an anti-dumping study, and handled a 65% surge in consumer protection applications, helping citizens recover nearly GEL 1 million.

The GCCA Chairman emphasised that 2025 was marked by landmark decisions, tangible results, and international recognition. Twelve years since its founding, the agency has solidified its influence across domestic strategic markets and deepened its engagement on international platforms.

Key highlights from the report include:

• Competition Enforcement: Four investigations concluded, with excessive pricing established in two cases. Penalties totalling nearly GEL 600,000 were imposed on four pharmaceutical companies, while the Rustavi Auto Market was fined nearly GEL 900,000. Policy recommendations were issued where violations were unconfirmed.
• Market Monitoring: Active oversight covered key sectors including fuel, FMCG, agricultural fertilizers/pesticides, tobacco, and medical services.
• Mergers & Concentrations: Approximately 24,000 registered concentrations were reviewed, with 18 approvals granted, led primarily by construction and building materials, followed by retail, medical, and educational sectors.
• Consumer Protection: Applications rose by 65%, with over 90% resolved in favour of consumers through agency intervention. Around 70% of claims concerned e-commerce, driven by apparel, electronics, and delivery services. All consumer grievances were processed free of charge within one month.
• Anti-Dumping Measures: An investigation into alleged rebar dumping from Iran and Russia concluded that supplementary tariffs were unnecessary given existing local market protection mechanisms.

“One of the defining milestones of 2025 was the GCCA securing the presidency of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) for 2026–2027. This network brings together over 90 countries to share best practices in consumer protection. Under our presidency, Georgia will host a high-level international conference in September 2026.

Furthermore, the GCCA received global recognition and an award from the World Bank last year for delivering positive consumer outcomes through its decisions and recommendations in the pharmaceutical sector, selected as a top case among submissions from 40 nations. The World Bank also rated the GCCA’s consumer rights communications strategy as exemplary,” Irakli Lekvinadze explained.

According to the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency press office, Lekvinadze added that 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Georgia’s first independent anti-monopoly body, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to maintaining a proactive posture across strategic markets.