Former Economy Minister Giorgi Kobulia has criticized the government’s approach to rising food prices, saying Georgian Dream is taking the “wrong direction.” Speaking on TV-program Business Course, he questioned why a parliamentary commission was created when the Anti-Monopoly Service already has the legal mandate to investigate price manipulation and market abuses.
Kobulia said the government should first examine whether corrupt agreements occur during the import of key goods, noting that dominance by single importers can artificially inflate prices. He also urged authorities to investigate whether major retail chains, which control up to 70% of the market, may be coordinating prices, stressing that established international methods exist for detecting cartel behavior.
He sharply criticized recent government claims suggesting that reducing the number of stores or pharmacies could lower prices. According to Kobulia, this idea contradicts basic economic principles. Fewer stores, he argued, reduce competition and inevitably lead to higher prices, not lower ones.
Kobulia added that such rhetoric creates anxiety within the business community, where many owners feel pressured but hesitate to voice their concerns openly. He called on the government to engage qualified experts and revise policies he believes are based on fundamental misunderstandings of how a market economy works.
