More than 40 Press Booths Removed in a Month

Tbilisi City Hall supervisory service has removed more than 40 press distribution booths in the last month. 29 booths belonged to the distribution company “Matsne”, 9 to “Planeta Forte”, one - “Elva Service”, and some to the company “Omega”.

As InterPressNews was told by Ramaz Tetruashvili, head of the company “Elva Service”, three more booths belonging to the company will be taken off the streets today and “Elva Service” will have 18 press distribution booths left in Tbilisi.

Chief accountant of “Matsne” Tinatin Kharbedia explains that they started to remove their distribution company’s booths in October.

“The first 3 booth were removed from Aghmashenebeli Avenue due to the reconstruction. On 26 November 13 booths were removed from the central streets of the city. On 13 December we received notice about 13 new booths. Only in the suburbs do “Matsne” booths remain. We’ll have to cut the number of the employees due to Tbilisi City Hall’s decision and as it is not guaranteed that the campaign of removing booths will not continue, “Matsne” is on the verge of “to be or not to be”, Tinatin Kharbedava said.

Head of Planeta Fote Merab Chanchalashvili says that 6 booths were removed two weeks ago and one yesterday.

“Booths located in Gldani, Saburtalo and Sanzona were removed. As I know, they are taken to protected territory. By now, “Planeta Forte” has 28 booths in Tbilisi, at first we had 50. Every 4-5 months, we have to remove 2-3 booths. We’ll be probably shut down in the end”, Chanchalashvili said.

Company “Omega” informs that some of their booths were removed from various districts of Tbilisi and two – yesterday.

Press distribution booths are being removed due to the project “1000 booths” and new trade booths will be placed within the framework of the project. The project is about assisting small and average business, though in recent auctions, the following companies mainly won: “Koda”, “Kumisi XXI”, “Ioli”, “Nugeshi”.

Georgian Press Association and journalists assess City Hall’s new project as a purposeful campaign against the press and protests were held.

Coalition “Choice for Freedom” called on people taking part in the auction 1000 booths to express their civil position by not participating in killing free speech, refuse to take part in the auctions on the locations where press booths had been placed till 25 November. There are 150 such places in Tbilisi.

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