What will change in Georgia in 2023
Pension
● From January 1st, the pension for persons under 70 years of age will be increased to 300 lari [about $100]and for people over 70 to 365 lari [about $135]. Pensioners living in mountainous areas receive 355 and 440 lari [$131 and $162] respectively.
● As of January 1, Liberty Bank’s pension loan cap is 26% instead of 36%.
salary of government employees
● Starting January 1, civil servant salaries will increase by 10% and law enforcement and military personnel by 20%.
Medical staff salaries and other changes
● From January 1, 2023, a minimum hourly wage for doctors and nurses will be introduced. The minimum wage for doctors is 7 lari per hour [about $2.5]at least 1260 lari per month [about $467]and for nurses 4.4 lari per hour [about $1.60]at least 792 lari per month [about $293] . According to the new rule, the salary increase affects around 9,000 doctors and more than 8,000 nurses.
● As of today, a law came into force prohibiting pharmacies from selling medicines at a price higher than the stipulated price. Guide prices for medicines come into force, which determine the maximum price ceiling above which the sale of goods entails statutory liability.
● Effective September 1, 2023, resuscitation services will need to meet new licensing requirements. This change is intended to improve the standards and quality of these services.
Socially vulnerable groups and children
● Social assistance for the severely disabled will be increased by 65 lari [$24]. For other categories of disabled people, the payment has been increased by 35 lari [$13].
● From July 2023, the financial support for socially disadvantaged children will be increased by 50 lari [about $18] up to 200 lari [$74] per child.
maternity leave
● The changes also affected maternity leave. The amount of support for private sector workers will be doubled and will be 2,000 laris instead of 1,000 laris [$740 instead of $370] (previously this amount was received by civil servants). School teachers also receive their full salary during maternity leave.
● From 2023, a one-time support of 1,000 lari [about $370] is made available to every third and subsequent newborns.
driver
● From January 1, the fee for a vehicle registration certificate will increase by 65 lari, and the cost of issuing a license plate will also increase by 45 lari. Accordingly, the registration of a vehicle costs 100 lari instead of 35 lari [$37 instead of $13]and a license plate 80 lari instead of 35 lari [$30 instead of $13].
● From September 1, 2023, driving license applicants must know the technical condition of the vehicle. The practical test is supplemented by questions about the technical performance of the car. The candidate driver must answer the questions visually using the appropriate tool or verbally.
● From January 1, 2023, the vehicles will also be tested for noise as part of the TÜV. The vehicle’s noise emissions must not exceed the legally permitted decibels.
● From January 1, 2023, the criteria for conducting vehicle accident inspections will be tightened. In particular, the emission standard (CO) for petrol-powered vehicles registered before April 1, 2020 has been reduced from 0.6% to 0.55%. The change applies to petrol-powered vehicles registered in the country before April 1, 2020.
What will change in Georgia in 2023
Carry a gun
● The fine for carrying bladed weapons in crowded places and on public transport has been increased from 200 to 500 lari with subsequent weapon confiscation.
Occupational safety and health protection
● From January 1, 2023, it will be mandatory to display health and safety signs at workplaces.
alcohol
● From January 1, 2023, alcoholic beverages intended for sale on the domestic market will be subject to mandatory certification.
food safety
● All food processing plants must use a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) system by June 1, 2023. The system is part of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement (DCFTA) with the European Union and has been phased in since 2015 in Georgia.
fuel
● As of January 1, 2023, the moratorium on imports of Euro 5 diesel fuel announced by Georgia in 2020 will no longer apply. From now on, this type of diesel will be delivered to Georgia from Azerbaijan.
What will change in Georgia in 2023
