Inhabitants of Buffer Zone Can Not Pay Loans of Bank

The inhabitants of Shida Kartli region not only lost their houses as a result of August war but also might face criminal charges for not paying bank loans. The population of Shida Kartli region did not have chance to take the harvest this year, therefore there is a crisis in agricultural business.

The population had taken credits for their orchards but they failed to enter their houses in August, September and October when there was a harvest season and take the harvest. Consequently, people failed to sell their harvest and pay credit. However, the banks do not take their ordeal into account. The banks demand them to pay credits otherwise they threaten with appealing to the court. The population urges the government for help.

Marine Kharibegashvili, the inhabitant of Dzevera village in Gori district, had taken two loans from the bank to cultivate her plots. Now she can neither cover the installment nor the actual credit. “I took loan of 4 000 GEL for one year. I had to cover the credit gradually. I had covered some amount before the war. I took the loan for the harvest but our garden was trudged by tanks,” said Marine Kharibegashvili.

Marine Kharibegashvili claims that soldiers dug trenches in her plots and there were 500 Kilos of explosives in the area. Therefore, it was impossible to take the harvest. The government is not planning to help the family of Marine Kharibegashvili which does not have a house any more. Avtandil Jolbordi, Dzevera village Governor, said the state does not have any kind of program that would assist the people whose orchards were damaged and harvest was lost due to the war. “Bank is a private institution and we cannot interfere in their activities. However, we are working on the problem,” he said. The inhabitants of Gori district villages are extremely worried about the situation. They are waiting for a special state program that will save them from criminal liability for not paying the bank credits.

Tea Tedliashvili, Gori