16.05.2015
VERBATIM OF THE PRESS-CONFERENCE OF RAUL KHADZHIMBA FOR ABKHAZ MEDIA (PART II)
Yuri Kuraskua (“Respublika Abkhazia” newspaper): Raul Djumkovich, will there be a bank created in the nearest future to provide credits to the citizens of Abkhazia, who would like to start up a small or middle-sized business?
Raul Khadzhimba: In the beginning of our talk, I told you, that around 200 million rubles will be provided by the National Bank of Abkhazia. Upon presenting a corresponding project, that must be approved, the applicant may receive a credit of no more than 1 – 1,5 million per project. For instance in Russia, agroproducers receive no more than 2 millions as subsidies. We do not have an opportunity to subsidy, we will provide with credits. This process will have several stages. Only by correctly implementing the next stage, will the applicant be able to receive a next part of the credit. In this case I am sure, that the activities will have a better quality.
Yuri Kuraskua: The Geneva talks are still going on. For some reason we think that this is the only floor, where we can be heard, although many people travel around the world and in those countries people know about Abkhazia. Did it not exhaust itself ? Maybe it is time to pause, and so that the initiative to pause would come from Abkhaz side ?
Raul Khadzhimba: As for right now, I think this is the only floor at such level. Concerning our position, I voiced it on a meeting with the representatives of international organizations : Abkhazia has own interests and own firm position and noone is going to jeopardize this position.
Marianna Kvitsiniya: (« Abkhazia-Inform »): Raul Djumkovich, I want to ask you a question about the sensational trial in re of the head of « Yujnaya stroitelnaya kompaniya » Vadim Matua. Why can’t be the arrest be substituted with the pledge not to leave the jurisdiction pending trial ? What is your opinion on this issues ? And what is your attitude to the fact that some people call this trial political?
Raul Khadzhimba: Let’s start with the end. If you or anyone else see politics in this, then this is a misthought. There is information about certain amounts of money and about violations in design estimates. This is the information provided by those people who are involved with the trial. We’ll wait and see the results. The prosecutor’s office, the court are working on this issues. There is no place for political approaches.
Prior to being in the office, we openely said that the money was redirected form one object to another, which were not foreseen by the programms financed by means of the resources provided by Russian Federation. Sukhum city stadium is one of these objects. Initially 30 million rubles were foreseen for this stadium, but as a result amounts that exceed the initial sum more than 10 times were provided. That is why there is no doubt that we have to make a detailed investigation on this issue.
Concerning the pledge not to leave the jurisdiction pending trial. We here are talking about serious issues. The investigative agency and court know what kind of preventive punishment to apply.
Marianna Kotova («Abaza-tv»): Raul Djumkovich, we are talking about attracting invesmtent to our country, but there are facts, that show that the investment climate here is not propitius. Lets give the situation with « Kontinent » as an example; there is an object in Noviy rayon, which is not utilized in any way. It is known that there are people who are trying to start up business here and they are ocunting on the state’s support, the head of the state, in particular. Can you guarantee the security of the investment in Abkhazia ?
Raul Khadzhimba: Concerning “Continent”, I played as a guarantor of settlement of this situation. Unfortunately, Mister Varov did not hear me out. I want to voice my position once again: whoever comes to lead this enterprise, he will be instructed with the task to maintain all employees and pay them salaries. This kind of position is the right one.
Now I will speak about investment and their protection. Yes, there are some intolerable situations. Just recently some people came to talk to me about the situation when they almost finished building one project, when some random people came to them insisting on illegal basis that they will participate in this project and they will be taking some percents from the future profits. This will not work this way! Corresponding instructions have been issued and we will cope with negative occurances. This is a difficult and hard process, but it is neccessaryto implement it, so that we attract investment.
I want everyone to understand: the law is the law, and there is nothing above it. This is not just words. This task will be solved the way I said.
Anaid Gogoriyan («Chegemskayapravda» newspaper): Raul Djumkovich, how do you evaluate the work of Ombudsman? At a recent press-conference he said that during his work no reports have been issued. I would like to here your opinion.
Raul Khadzhimba: What he said is true. He did not prepare a single report, which means it is our common problem. Does it mean that there are no violations of human rights in our country? No, this is not the case. Georgiy Otirba has to work harder. We are going to discuss this situation and draw conclusions.
Zurab Argun (media-center «Ainar»): How will the Rosneft organization in Abkhzia develop? What is the position of the leadership?
Raul Khadzhimba: Rosneft is already conducting its activities on the territory of Abkhazia. Concerning oil prospecting, the documents have already been signed by the previous leadership. Those activities are already being conducted. I have already voiced my position on this issues. I am against this and have never concealed my attitude. All talks that are happening right now do not have any basis. The issue of oil extraction is not on the agenda right now.
Elena Zavodskaya: Almost at every meeting with you, we hear that we have to utilize own opportunities. However, we do not here anything from the corresponding structures, about what is going on and being conducted in this direction. If possible, could you clarify the
Raul Khadzhimba: Maybe not everything is being conducted fast enough, but corresponding instructions have been issued to the ministry of economy and the ministry of finance to elaborate the issues related to strict control of the resources that are provided for various structures. You see better than I do, the figures provided by the Ritsa reserve, and those are tens of millions of rubles, and that shows that there are some changes for the better.Maybe that sets someone’s teeth at edge, but that’s the way it is.
We will conduct stricter control over not only this object, but other state objects as well. Today there is a task set, considering our yet modest opportunities, to conduct effective control over the resources provided by state touristic objects, by means of improving reporting forms.
Today, heads of administrations of Gagra and Gudauta regions are reporting that the number of registered objects in touristic sphere (private, individual) increased significantly.
Yes, there is some antagonism, there are certain concerns. Only in Gudauta there are around 600 objects that have to pay taxes. A penny saved is a money gained.
We instructed the government to present by the end of August the project of state budget for 2016, the profit part of which should differ significantly from what we see in the current budget. Since 2009 we did not increase own profit part of the budget. It remains at 3,5 billion rubles level. It is time for us to think how to change this figure. This is not an easy process, but it can be implemented.
Elena Zavodskaya: What is the level of increase of the budget that you prognose?
Raul Khadzhimba: I think that amount should be enough not to depend on external factors.
Vitaliy Shariya: On a previous press conference, there was a discussion on the situation in the schools of Gal region, about those textbooks using which kids there learn different subjects, history in particular. After that there was some information that there is an intention to change the language they use in schools from Georgian into Russian. Do you think it is implementable? What are your plans in relation to these issues?
Raul Khadjimba: I don’t want to say that we can do that immediately. Unfortunately, we did not even succeed in switching education to the state language, which is the demand of the majority of the society.
Concerning education in Georgian in Gal and Tkvarchal districts - we need to follow our Constitution. We do not forbid learning their native language, but let it be a particular subject.
The Ministry of education and science should certify the textbooks on history and geography. No Georgian textbooks should be allowed in our schools.
Izida Chaniya: I would like to draw our attention back to the Ministry of internal affairs issue. Why was the minister of internal affairs fired? For the conflict between two services, or you were not satisfied with his work? What are the tasks that you’ve set for the new minister? What is your vision on how to overcome the current situation? What is going on with the law on stat eservice?
Raul Khadzhimba: The instructions I gave to the new minister are the same I did to the previous. It is not like Elena Zavodskaya wrote that I and the minister live in different dimensions and like I do not know what the minister did. You can ask the minister, we talk about those issues every day.
Difficult processes are going on in the structure of the Ministry of internal affairs itself. Them in is try is rejuvenating, but there is no process of passing the experience on.
There is no professionalism. We need to improve the work in the activities of the state auto inspection. If at the first stage we could somehow influence those processes, right now the situation is more complicated. That does not mean that this is the fault of Lolua. It is the fault of the system itself, which failed to succeed.
Undoubtedly, this year the number of tourists in Abkhazia will increase significantly, and we need active, rough and effective work of the Ministry of internal affairs. Ihopethatthe new leadership will succeed.
The new minister does not have a program right not, but I hope that the orienteers and aims of the new leadership will be set.
To be honest, we have a “professionalism hunger” right not. It is not easy to choose a person for a particular post. We have to choose from what we have.
The project of the law on state service is being elaborated in the Parliament and is almost complete. I will approve it and we will start implementing it.
Concerning the unification of the bodies of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Administration fo the President – the process has started and will go on. We do not have other option. We spend a lot of money ineffectively. People have to understand that someone has to go considering the objective evaluation of their professional opportunities.
Anjela Kuchuberiya: You said that the issues of participation of Abkhazia in the program of import substitution has been discussed. What can Abkhazia offer in relation to this?
Raul Khadzhimba: I think that if we want to set up our work in a correct manner, than we can find what to offer Russia. For instance, it could be vegetables. We have an experience in building hothouses. There are successful projects in Ochamchira region. The building works of Pitsunda hothouses are almost finished. There are interesting proposals like tea and citruses. We have to offer what we have. We have the opportunities and they should be increased.
Indira Bartsits (“RIA Novosti”): Is it true that there are examinations of the Audit Chamber going on in Abkhazia and that you met the leadership of this institution?
Raul Khadzhimba: Yes. The examinations are taking place right now. Along with thatour Control Chamber is also conducting its activities. We’ll see the results any time soon.
Elena Poluyan: The question about the airport. Can we talk about any particular terms?
Raul Khadzhimba: I can not talk about any particular terms right now, but during the conversation we had with the President of Russian Federation, it was clear that this is a very important direction for us. We want our airport to function. I got an answer about the possibility of search for the people who could join this process. It was clear that for today a significant number of materials, documents that set up the order of activities of this structure, have been prepared. We have the approval to start the works. With whom and how – those questions will be answered after some time.
Vitaliy Shariya: Can I ask you one last question? Have you considered the candidateship of Leonid Dzapshba when deciding on who should be the new ministerщof internal affairs?
Raul Khadzhimba: You are so ingenious. All the candidateships were considered. You, journalists, are so amusing. When Dzapshba was a minister you criticized him much, there were even anecdotes created. Some would praise him. I do not like everything that is going on, but I have to deal some issues as a reality. Because if someone is being critisezd that means there were reasons for that. The President has the right ot make decisions. If I will seek advice in every single issues, I am telling you, there will be no decisions made. Everyone has own vision. The final decision is made by the President.
