Roman Gotsiridze, former president of the National Bank of Georgia and economist, criticized the Georgian Dream government for plans to investigate supermarkets over rising food prices, describing it as a form of business repression.
Gotsiridze argued that the main cause of price increases is the government’s flawed monetary and fiscal policies, which are now being blamed on the private sector. He specifically condemned Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s call for law enforcement agencies to examine price growth in retail chains, saying it represents a revival of Soviet-style control over businesses and could lead to expanded state oversight similar to Belarus.
According to Gotsiridze, the government’s approach risks replacing free-market principles with “state capitalism,” while elite corruption and inefficient spending of public resources remain key drivers of rising prices. Kobakhidze had announced that supermarket markups and high profit margins are behind Georgia’s higher food costs compared to Europe and called for a parliamentary investigative commission to review the issue.
