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Boarders of the Government

April 13, 2007

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Today parliament discussed the draft law on Cultural Inheritance. It was the second sessionon that initiative; however they have not achieved any decision yet. Although the Government has reduced the tax from three lari to 1, 50 lari, the opposition protests that amount of fee either. They demand to estimate 0,50 lari as a maximum amount of the tax for a square meter.

Draft Law on “Cultural Heritage” caused serious concern of the population of historical districts in Akhaltsikhe.

Rabati is a historical place. People of various nationalities have resided in the district for many years already.

Christian Church, Synagogue, Mosque and Turkish bath are located into this small residential area. People, who live here is too attentive to these historical monuments.

 “This district is really historical. Local people created Rabati, passed it on the future generation and kept it until today. Every inch of land is too precious for me here. I teach my child to feel the same about it, my father taught me the same,” said forty-five-year-old Roza Ignatenko, a resident of Rabati.

Residents of the Rabati District were deeply concerned by the news about the draft law. They heard about it on TV.

“I am astonished. They announced on TV that we should pay taxes on private property. Initially I thought it was a joke for the April 1. Then I got astonished. My income amounts to 80 lari. They say that taxes on prestigious districts will be more. My district is really prestigious but I do not think I will be able to pay even ten tetri for a square meter. I have inherited the house from my parents. I was happy for that until now, now it has become trouble to own private house,” said Ignatenko.

tbilisi.gifFifty-eight-year-old Manana Igitkhanishvili is a resident of the Rabati prestigious district. However, living in that district has become a great problem for her. “Actually we are boarders of this life. Now we have become borders of this government. Is it normal when they impose tax on you for living in the private house? I sweep a road of five kilometers and get 104 lari for that a month. I won 64 sq. meters of house. If they estimate 50 tetri on a square meter, it will amount to 32 lari a month. Thus, my child, who is ill with diabetes and was deprived from the pension, and I should live on 70 lari. Shame on them! I have headache for three days and cannot buy painkiller either. I save all my money for my sick child. And they think of new taxes,” said Igitkhanashvili.

“If you do not pay one month, then the second…then the government will arrive and force you out of your house,” said thirty-four-year-old Manushak Karsliani, a resident of Rabati.

Human Rights Center applied to the district Municipality to find out the situation.

“Our population should not be afraid of anything. They would not have similar problem,” said Shalva Dalalishvili, deputy Chairman of the Akhaltsikhe Municipality.

Journalist:  “The Draft law on Cultural Heritage envisages the tax on the whole Georgia. In this case how should residents of Rabati district avoid the tax?

Shalva Dvalishvili: “This year we have not planned the rehabilitation of the Rabati district; thus they would not have to pay taxes.“

-And when it is time for them to pay taxes?

Sh. D. We would try to reduce the tax to five tetri.

Residents of the old districts in Batumi are looking forward to new taxes in fear. Part of the society thinks that the innovation would result into empty old districts. Thus, the seaside city would no more have its charm. The beauty of those districts is not only its architecture but also those famous people who live in there.

Nato Beridze lives in ‘Old Batumi”. She said that this initiative aims at attracting the foreign investors and very soon poor residents of the area would be made to move out from there. “Not everybody, who lives here, lives well-off and how will they be able to pay tax? They say that investors should arrive in the area and we should leave the place.”

Makhvala Kakhidze also agrees with the idea that people would be evicted from their flats as a result of the initiative. Although she resides in the prestigious district, her flat is only 24 square meters. Ms. Makhvala is waiting for those people who would purchase her flat. “We cannot reconstruct the flat. Walls and ceiling should be changed. Let the government help us. Let them build a new building in its place and then we will move in there. Or let somebody buy it and we are ready to leave the place.”
Albert Muradian has inherited his house and is not going to leave it. He hopes that the authority would not allow estimating those taxes.

batumi.gifGiorgi Lomtatidze is a Batumi resident too and he remembers the law under which his family paid the tax on Property. “I think we were the only family who paid that tax. The population resisted it and authority canceled the law. The same will happen in this particular case too. People would not put up with that. Someone from the government seems to have got in badly need of money and they created a new tax.” Giorgi is sure that if the government is of principle in its decision, then they will dare to seal up properties and sell them out.

The innovation is widely discussed at the Batumi Municipality. Irakli Chavleishvili, a member of the Municipality form the Republican Party, thinks that the most of the population cannot afford to pay the tax and it is too early to discuss such draft laws. “I live in the prestigious district of the town; I am a member of the Municipality and can afford to pay that tax but there are people, living next to me, who cannot pay even their electricity bills. They have inherited those houses and what shall they do now? Should they move out of their houses? Should we create another tragedy for them?”

Vakhtang Ghlonti, the head of the Committee for Education, Culture and Sport, is against the new tax. Besides that, the deputy said that the beauty of the town is not made up only with buildings: “We must think about the people who live very poorly. How can you demand an impoverished person to pay tax? Let us create better conditions for them in order to improve their material conditions and if then they would not pay bills, we should have right to blame them for being disobedient to the law.”

“The town is attractive because of its residents, their traditions and customs. Because of them the town is beautiful and charming. The people live in the most difficult situation and we should consider all similar initiatives very carefully.”

“We do not want to hear anything about that tax! Wე won’t pay even a tetri. We will go on hunger strike, go out in the street and we will not let anyone to seize the property of our fathers and their fathers. Shame on our government for forcing us out of our houses, they try to make us go aboard to live there,” said seventy-three-year old Liza Bakradze, a resident of Kutaisi. Her family has lived in the area of the City-Museum in Tsereteli Street for more than half century.

The area of City-Museum consists of many other streets besides Tsereteli Street and they are Newport, Rustaveli, Faliashvili, St. Nino, and Tamar Mefe Streets.  Most of the population is shocked; they are afraid they will not be able to maintain their properties. If they do not pay the tax, another rich person would be a new owner of their houses.

Nino Mindadze, a resident of the Rustaveli Street: “If anybody tells me to pay even ten tetri for one square meter of my house, I would certainly be unable to pay it. I cannot afford it. How can I pay it when none of my family members work? Let the government employ us, grant us with normal pension and then they should demand us to pay taxes. I am surprised at their impudence. What have we done the wrong for what they forbid us even breathing?

Temur Tsertsvadze, a resident of the Tsereteli Street: “How a government can dare to break in my house and demand me to pay tax. I can understand bills on water, electricity, gas and telephone…but what kind of bills these are I cannot understand. Parents had left that property for their children. Some of us inherited those houses from our grandfathers and why should we pay money to the government?”

Margo Arabidze, a resident of the Newport Street: “Our government has dared too much. It is time to go out in the street together and support each other. They should see that the country is not covered with a straw. Today they have introduced these taxes, tomorrow they will think of another one and it will never have an end.“

Lili Margvleashvili, a resident of the Tsereteli Street:  “I think our government tests the patience of Georgian society. So let us show them that we cannot endure more. What are they demanding from us while they do not do anything for its society? How should we feed our children and give them proper education? However, who cares about your education now, illiteracy is flourishing around. Let them cheat their relatives…”

As for the local authority, Kutaisi Vice-Mayer Giga Shushania said that it is too early to discuss that question. “We will discuss the question together with the Municipality when the law is enacted. The negative position of the population is caused by incorrect interpretation of the initiative that was spread by media sources. Personally I appreciate the idea that the population should take part in the rehabilitation of the historical buildings. The European countries have acted in this way and we should take an example from them. As for the tax itself, as far as I know it will not be permanent bill. The owner should pay the tax while historical buildings are being reconstructed. We will find out the amount of the tax a bit later,” said Shushania.

axalcixe.gifGori population worries about the tax before it is imposed on them. Local authority has not estimated the borders of the historical districts yet. However, the surrounding area of the Gori Fortress is likely to include the list. Inhabitants of that particular district needed permissions from the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection on constructions in the area. Similar districts are Samefo, Kartli, Kherkheulidze, Tsereteli and Rustaveli Streets.

According to Marlen Nadiradze, the chairman of the Gori Municipality, they have not received any document regarding the initiative on the basis of what they could order the population to pay tax.

“We have not received similar directives from the Authority.  As far as I know the tax on historical districts will be imposed only on Tbilisi. If it is general, then Gori Municipality will discuss the question. However, it is too early to speak about it because the topic needs thorough discussion,” said Nadiradze.

Residents of the historical districts in Gori say that they would not pay that tax even if the amount of the fee would be only ten tetri on a square meter.

Marina Kuzanovi, a resident of the Kartli Street: “Our only income is pension. The house was built in 1920. It is a purposeful decision of the government in order to evict the old residents of the area. They say that people will have to pay that tax during two years. A poor family will not be able to pay it and they would have to sell their houses.”

Vasil Guleuri, a resident of the Samefo Street: “If our government is that much concerned about historical districts, they should have spent the money on these districts instead of decorating the balconies of the flats in Stalini Street with colorful tablets. I have heard that 250 000 lari was spent on those works. It does not make any difference whether the tax is law or not, it would be too much for everybody. Some of politicians made such cynical statements about selling out the houses, it is purposeful activities. They want to get hold of houses in prestigious districts.”

Arina Tavakarashvili, a resident of the Rustaveli Street: I live in historical district in the house that we have inherited from my grandfather. I have been working since the age of 16 but my income will not be enough to pay that tax. If they impose that tax on us, my salary would not be enough to pay it because the tax will be much more than my salary. I like the idea but the government should improve the life conditions for population before introducing similar fees.”

Gulo Kokhodze, Akhaltsikhe
Irma Zoidze, Batumi
Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi
Tea Tedliashvili, Gori

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