“We can say with confidence that Georgian Dream has lost the battle against rising prices,” declared Tazo Datunashvili, a member of the Strong Georgia–Lelo opposition party.

In his words, “Georgia is in the throes of an acute price crisis, and Georgian Dream has admitted as much itself.”

“According to the National Statistics Office, annual inflation in April stands at 5.9%, the highest figure recorded in the past two years. Five months have elapsed since Irakli Kobakhidze announced measures to bring prices down, the parliamentary commission was established, and the State Security Service launched its investigation, and yet we can now say with certainty that rising prices have defeated Georgian Dream.

GeoStat data shows that food prices in Georgia have risen sharply: fish is up 21.3%, fruit up 11.8%, meat and meat products up 10%, vegetables up 9.3%, bread and bakery products up 7.7%, sugar and confectionery up 7.3%, and milk, cheese and eggs up 4.5%. Utility bills have also increased, as Georgian Dream raised the electricity price for citizens by 30% from April 1.

Alongside rising prices, Georgian Dream is also hiking fines and the public services costs, making life ever more unbearable for ordinary citizens. The penalty for speeding has doubled from 50 to 100 lari; the fee for registering a marriage has gone up from 50 to 75 lari; obtaining a passport now costs 150 lari instead of 100; a national identity card has risen from 30 to 60 lari; property registration has jumped from 55 to 150 lari; and vehicle registration has soared from 70 to 200 lari.

Georgia is in the grip of an acute price crisis, a fact Georgian Dream has acknowledged, yet solutions do exist. In the immediate term, a temporary reduction in fuel excise duty is urgently needed; this would ease the financial burden on citizens and help halt the rise in the cost of other goods. In the longer term, billions of dollars in investment must be attracted to create well-paid jobs, so that citizens are no longer forced to choose between buying food and buying medicine,” declared Tazo Datunashvili.