The main issue was the new program of socio-economic development of Abkhazia until 2025. This is a large-scale program, which includes projects in many areas. One of them is measures for implementation of state support for the sectors of the economy, in particular - small and medium-sized businesses, agriculture and industry. The program also provides financial assistance in order to increase wages for the main categories of state employees.
“This increase is carried out annually. The work needs to be continued. We are negotiating with the Russian side in order to reach the level of the average wage in Krasnodar Territory in 2025, which is about 40 thousand rubles, ” said Aslan Bzhania.
Another important part of the program for socio-economic development of Abkhazia until 2025 is the increase of the Investment Program for Assisting the Socio-Economic Development of the Republic of Abkhazia. Now the Investment Program provides financing in the amount of 1 billion 350 million rubles per year.
The new program for the socio-economic development of Abkhazia includes the creation of a tax administration system using digital technologies.
“This also requires a significant amount of money, but it will give a tangible economic effect in terms of administration and collection of taxes and customs revenues,” President said.
Another issue that is an integral part of the program of socio-economic development of Abkhazia until 2025 is concessional lending to businesses.
“We already had such a program several years ago. Its volume was 1 billion 200 million rubles. Now we are putting before the Russian side the question of a significant increase in these parameters, ” Bzhania said.
Energy issues related to implementation of certain points of the road map were also discussed at the meetings in Moscow. This will cost about 4.7 billion rubles. This amount provides a number of measures, including the purchase and installation of electricity consumption meters for all consumers, about one hundred thousand in Abkhazia. The approximate cost of this project is 2 billion rubles. The rest of the funds will be used to repair the power grid.
“We are not talking about a large-scale reconstruction, we are talking about the fact that in the near future we need to bring the energy sector out of the crisis. And these measures will make it possible to make the power system work in a trouble-free mode, and we will be able to exercise control over the consumed electricity, ” the head of the republic noted.
Also there was raised a question of creating a technopark for those who are engaged in cryptocurrency mining in order to free the country's energy system from unnecessary load.
“This work is underway. We have made progress in this vein. Final decisions should be made on this issue in October-November, ” Bzhania said.
Separately, there were discussed infrastructure projects, including the project for the launch of Sukhum airport. “We have reached the level of signing an agreement. The money is allocated. The investor is holding a tender for design companies this week. The airport reconstruction project, which has passed the examination, will be ready by October 2022, ” Bzhania said.
The project of gasification of Abkhazia is at about the same stage. Everything is already ready for signing an agreement with the design institute. President met with the head of the design institute in Moscow and announced that the agreement would be signed in the next few weeks.
Another important issue that was raised at the meetings in Moscow is related to simplification of the Russian-Abkhaz border crossing for citizens of the Russian Federation and Abkhazia.
“We raised the issue of the need to make our citizens and citizens of the Russian Federation pass this border faster and more comfortably. There is understanding. It is necessary to prepare a number of documents, since the solution of this issue depends on many departments. This question, among other things, has to do with security, so there is a certain procedure that you need to go through. The most important thing is that those leaders in the Russian Federation with whom we met understand that this problem must be solved, ” said President Aslan Bzhania.
He said that Moscow was also discussing an agreement that is being prepared for signing between the government of Russia and Abkhazia on the activities of Russian legal entities making investments on the territory of Abkhazia. We are talking about preferences that they can count on and which will be provided to them.
“This document will be signed this year and will create real additional conditions for attracting Russian investments to the economy of Abkhazia, this is a strategically important task,” the head of state emphasized.
Bzhania added that there is progress and understanding on all the issues discussed in Moscow. He also noted that the Investment programs envisage a three-year format, the current one being completed next year. The new program will be much larger and will cover more areas.
“What we are trying to do is not only the Investment Program, it is a development program. It is more ambitious in terms of the scope of the activities that are included in it and in terms of financial indicators. I hope we will be able to do everything, ” the head of Abkhazia said.
Also Aslan Bzhania met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. The meeting discussed not only the issues of military and military-technical cooperation, but also a number of infrastructure projects that are important both for the development of the economy and for ensuring the security of our state. Among them are the airport, the construction of a road and the repair of two tunnels in Kodor Gorge, the reconstruction of the bridge over the Gumista River.