“A significant number of mining rigs have already been seized in Mestia, indicating that electricity was being consumed illegally,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists.

As the Prime Minister noted, electricity consumption in the Mestia municipality stands at 133 million kilowatt-hours, a figure that comparable municipalities do not even come close to, with similar areas recording consumption levels of under 10%.

“An announcement has been made regarding the installation of meters, and the relevant procedures are currently underway with the involvement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Additionally, a substantial number of mining rigs have already been seized, indicating that electricity was being consumed illegally. This process must continue. You are aware of the figures involved. Electricity consumption in the Mestia municipality stands at 133 million kilowatt-hours, whereas in comparable municipalities, consumption does not even reach double figures; it does not exceed 10%. Roughly speaking, over 20 million units of electricity are being consumed illegally for mining purposes. Ultimately, this burden falls on every single citizen and is reflected in the bills paid by people in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, or any other municipality. We need to fix this and bring it within the proper regulatory framework. That is precisely the purpose of the metering process and the measures being taken in parallel by the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” the Head of Government stated.