Lasha Parulava, one of the leaders of the United National Movement (UNM), has demanded that the fuel excise tax be halved, fuel prices reduced, and the “corruption markup” completely eliminated. Speaking at a press conference, he stated that the Georgian market has become dependent on Russia, while prices have nevertheless risen significantly.
“Georgia has turned into a hub of Russian influence and interests. The country’s economy, trade, energy, food security, and petroleum products market have all become dependent on Russia. Despite this, prices have not only failed to decrease but, on the contrary, have risen.
As Irakli Kobakhidze himself stated, there is an 86 percent corruption markup in the cost of goods. This is especially reflected in the price of fuel, which is one of the key components of the cost of virtually all goods and services. Therefore, we demand that the fuel excise tax be halved, fuel prices reduced, and the corruption component completely removed from them,” Parulava stated.