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Law Is In Force at Sarpi Custom’s House Before It Is Enacted

June 25, 2009

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi

Traders Threaten With Mass Demonstrations

There is noise at the Sarpi Custom’s House for two days. Importers, who were crossing the border with Turkey on foot with their luggage, had to pay the customs. They were not allowed to enjoy the resolution of the Minister of Finances of Georgia which discharges people from customs once a month. The custom-house officers do not comment on the fact.

The information about making the law more drastic at the Sarpi Custom-house by Georgian side was spread several days ago. Since June 18, the resolution of the Minister of Finances was put in force which states that a person shall not pay customs for transporting luggage through the custom only once a month. Otherwise they will have to pay 23% of the total price of the luggage. This resolution was put up on the Custom House several days ago.

Yesterday, traders who had the luggage of under 500 GEL were also demanded to pay the customs; though they had crossed the border for the first time after the resolution was put in force. The custom-house officers did not comment on the fact.

Marina Chagunava, trader: They packed my luggage in large bags and loaded on the car. When I inquired what they were doing the custom-house officers told me to go to the terminal. We arrived here but they did not allow us to take the luggage unless we pay the customs. I had the luggage of 500 GEL and I have nothing more left to pay.”

Ia Lakandelidze, trader: “We were made to wait here. I had to pay 150 GEL at the custom-house.”

Lia Beridze: They did not give any receipts. They wrote the amount of tax on the sheet of paper and we pay it at the bank. I am crossing the border for the first time this month and it means we have to pay customs each time.”

The Custom-House was the only source of income for the people living close to the border; they were assisting Georgian traders to carry the luggage from Turkish Custom-house to Georgian one and received some tips for that.

Davit Kavtaradze, a local resident: “I assisted the traders to carry the luggage from Turkish Custom-house to ours. Since they were forbidden to transport two equal items, we, local people shared their luggage and they paid 5 GEL for that. Now, they can cross the border without payment only once a month; so the government cut this source of income for us. There are no more working places here and how can we survive?” Majority population of Adjara Autonomous Republic goes shopping to the so-called “Cemal Pasha Market”. They crossed the border every day to buy different goods. Then they sold them in the shopping malls in Adjara.

The traders from Batumi intend to hold protest demonstration against the resolution of the Ministry of Finances.

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