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Food management for employees in Georgia

 

In the modern world for human resource specialists and CEOs’ one of the biggest deals is to create an appropriate environment for staff to keep them creative and productive. When they work in offices or do some physical work, they need to be fed fine to keep productivity during their working hours. In Georgia most of the companies don’t take this responsibility and the government doesn’t have any promotion on this issue. Even more, companies that give meals  to their employees, have to pay the VAT, which is one more reason to avoid feeding their employees.

Despite that it’s not very popular in Georgia to provide meals for the employees there are some companies which offer this kind of service. Food Management Group is among them operating in Georgia since 2012. For now the company unites more than 100 employees and takes one of the leading positions in the field. Food management group provides several services, like Cafeteria management, Lunchbox system and buffet.

According to the quantity of employees they offer delivery service of prepared food or cooking on the place.  As the top manager of the company mentioned in the interview with BUSINESS GEORGIA that the recipe of their success is high quality of products and services, which they are keeping for years. “We always have fresh commodity and try our best to meet the highest standards in our field. “

How did you get the idea of doing this business?

About ten years ago the company where my wife used to work was rejected in the last minute to be served by one of the catering companies. She was stressed, couldn’t find another company so fast. It was first time I provided the lunch for one of the leading insurance company in Georgia, of course without any refund. After that I started thinking about this gap. This made me inspired and I started providing lunches for other companies. First time I used to make food at home and offer it to small companies. But from time to time the demand has increased. Then I started offering this service to bigger companies and established the enterprise in 2012. For now our business unites about 100 employees and we provide service for some leading companies.

What motivates you to do this work for years?

The main motivation for me is that we created an opportunity for people to eat healthy and balanced food during working hours. The practice of our country is to eat fast food during the day because healthy food costs too much if you don’t cook by yourself.  We are proud that we took this gap many years ago. Another thing that motivates us is that we try our best to set up the practice that companies should pay for the food of their employees.

What kind of challenges do you see in your field for now?

The biggest challenge is the preservation of prices and quality. That means to offer balanced food (balanced meals include one food from each food group – Dairy; Vegetables; Fruits; Grains and Protein.) with affordable price.

 

 

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Five Reasons to Invest in Georgian Agriculture

Agriculture has both big economic and social functions in Georgia. The sector employs more than half of the country’s work force and for many families, income from agriculture is the only source of their livelihood. At present, interest in the private sector, as well as in the volume of investment is not very high. However, there are many examples of successful projects owing to local and foreign investment.

 

Here are the main reasons for a favorable investment environment in the agricultural sector of Georgia.

 

Natural Conditions

Georgian agriculture has favorable natural conditions and resources for agricultural production. We have 22 different climates in the country, including both cold and dry as well as warm and humid. Almost half of the country’s total area can be used as ​​agricultural land. Further, there are naturally favorable conditions for grain, vegetable, fruit and sub-tropical crops.

 

Almost the whole territory of the country can be considered as fertile land where a variety of agricultural crops are able to be harvested. At the same time, the country is rich in water resources and irrigation systems exist in almost every region.

 

Investment Direction:  Nowadays, cultivars such as nuts or so-called “dwarf nuts,” blueberry, blackberry and pistachio are popular. They are well adapted to the local environment, characterized by their high productivity, selling price and a core market that perfectly satisfies producer interest.

 

Low Production Costs

Hiring workers in the agricultural sector is quite inexpensive. More than 60 percent of workers are employed in agriculture. Between the country’s industrial sectors, agriculture is the lowest paid overall. In the first half of 2016, the index was GEL 1 per month. This number is much lower as compared to the salaries in most EU countries. Additionally, the local labor force, as a rule, is quite experienced and well aware of the agricultural production process. Most Georgian farmers have been involved in agricultural activities since their childhood and they possess a significant amount of knowledge.

 

Energy resources required and used in the agricultural production process in Georgia are considered to be low volume. Irrigation water per hectare in eastern Georgia costs GEL 75 and GEL 45 in western Georgia. To compare these prices with those in Europe, it is higher in many European countries:  Greece, EUR 73 to 210, Italy EUR 30 to 150, Spain EUR 62 and Portugal EUR 120.

 

It should also be noted that the purchase or lease of agricultural land in Georgia is also inexpensive and without any limitations.

 

Investment Direction:  wheat, berries, corn and potatoes.

 

DCFTA with the EU

After the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the EU, Georgia can produce agricultural products to meet the required safety and security standards which would then able them to enter the EU market with a zero custom tariff. Additionally, Georgia has an agreement with China, Turkey and the former Soviet countries about tariff reduction. These contracts simplify product export and expand the market for goods produced in Georgia which, of course, is attractive for investors.

 

In the process of trade with the EU, sector modernization and increasing its efficiency is needed in order for Georgia to meet required standards as well as further enable the entry of foreign companies into the country.

 

Investment Direction:  Bioproduction. Every day, the demand for bio products is increasing both in the EU and on the world market. A wide range of bio products can be produced by Georgian farmers. Relevant legal data about bio production also exists in the country. In 2006, the Parliament adopted the Law  on Biological Agricultural Industry which serves to regulate issues concerning the biological agricultural industry.

 

In Georgia, bio products such as wine, fruit juices, honey, various kinds of fruits (for example, persimmon, which is quite popular in European countries), vegetables, dairy products and others can be produced.

 

State Supports Agriculture

Financing for the agricultural sector has increased sharply since 2012 and the development of this sphere is one of the top priorities for the country. The state implements various large-scale projects to support agriculture and increase agricultural production.

 

In the 2017 state budget, agriculture will be financed by GEL 238 million. Of particular note:  low interest agro credit (GEL 42 million), viticulture development (GEL 32.4 million), food safety and plant protection (GEL 22.7 million), modernization of ameliorative systems (GEL 49 million), support for agricultural cooperative development (GEL 5.3 million), implementing agricultural research activities (GEL 6.6 million) and agricultural insurance (GEL 5 million).

 

Of particular note is that Georgia’s agro credit program has financed more than 700 existing and 150 new enterprises at low interest rates since 2013.

 

Additionally, the state is actively engaged in the following directions:  farmer awareness raising and effective agricultural extension services, data collection for market information, information gathering, processing and effective delivering of this information for workers employed in agriculture sector, compiling a farmer register, etc.

 

Investment Direction:  The state actively supports the development of cooperatives and provides certain benefits and preferences for them, especially for multi-functional cooperatives. The cooperatives need to have sufficient financial as well as human resources in order to develop several directions of agricultural production as well as relevant services for farmers.

 

Agrotourism

In 2016, the number of visitors to Georgia exceeded 3 million while revenue from international tourism amounted to USD 2.16 billion. There are extensive opportunities for tourism development in the country with foreign visitors coming to Georgia year round. They can take part in agro tours and be involved in local agricultural activities or participate in the vintage process, harvest time, learning to make traditional Georgian products and spend time in a unique rural environment which is both new and interesting for them.

 

When discussing the issue of agro tourism, a look at the list of existing opportunities shows 102 resorts, 182 lands for resorts 2,400 mineral springs, 12,000 historical and architectural monuments (three are included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list), 11 national parks, 41 natural monuments and two protected landscapes.

 

The Georgian National Tourism Administration offers free training for those who want to start up a business in the agro tourism sphere.

 

Investment Direction:  Village hotels, farms, wine tours, historical monument tours.

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LARGEST INVESTOR’S PUBLIC REPORT TO GOVERNMENT

Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Dimitri Kumsishvili, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Nodar Javakjishvili, Minister of Finance Nodar Khaduri, and Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Giga Agulashvili attended a report by Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC (AGL), the country’s largest investor. The event was also attended by representatives of international finance institutions (IFC, EBRD, ADB,) and experts working in the energy sector.Wonder Woman 2017 film

This event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Energy and Adjaristsqali Georgia.

Speeches were delivered by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze, Chairman of Advisor’s Board of Adjaristsqali Georgia Kyrre Olaf Johansen, and the company’s CEO Ronny Solberg.

AGL is implementing one of the largest infrastructure investments in Georgia, the Shuakhevi Hydro Power Plant (HPP) project. AGL is a joint venture between India’s Tata Power and Norway’s Clean Energy Invest (40 percent each), and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group (20 percent). AGL is investing a total of USD 416 million and employing 730 Georgian citizens on this project.

Source: Ministry Of Energy Of Georgia

Welcome to Georgia- National Tourism Awards 2016!

Tourism and Hospitality Forum within Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards 2016
Co-organized with Georgian National Tourism Administration  is held  on 24 May, 2016 at 09:30 in Expo Georgia, III Pavilion.

National Tourism Awards is an elite honor to be awarded to the very best members of tourism in the country. This Award is a good challenge for companies working in this field and should motivate them to increase their creativity and experience in providing the best service. It is a kind of Oscars for Georgian tourism and travel industries and a celebration of Georgian heritage, culture, traditions and modern achievements.

It’s a chance to celebrate the highest-achieving tourism businesses and brands that work towards creating a positive image for Georgia worldwide.

This opportunity is bringing together national and local authorities, hotels, restaurants, tour operators, travel agencies and more. It is the Oscars for Georgian tourism and travel industries.

The participants of this Forum will be the key players of the tourism and hospitality spheres, the winners of the Welcome to Georgia! Awards 2015, the potential candidates of the Welcome to Georgia! Awards! 2016, partners of the Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards, representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Georgian National Tourism Administration, Tbilisi City Hall, Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia and also special guests from Ukraine: Ms. Maryna Rymarenko -Partner at DEOl Partners, who will share her experience of marketing development in hospitality sector and Mr. Anton Taranenko – Head of Tourism Department Kiev City State Administration, who will talk about the directions of development of partnership with the Ukraine Tourism Market.