Gov’t planning to expand support programme for residents of mountainous regions

A working group will be created to review criteria for granting status for a mountain settlement. Shatili. Photo: N. Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

Agenda.ge, 26 Nov 2018 - 16:11, Tbilisi,Georgia

The government of Georgia is redoubling efforts to avoid the reduction of population in mountainous areas of the country, initiating an increase of the list of high mountainous settlements and accordingly the number of beneficiaries of the Mountain Law.

A working group will be created to review criteria for granting status for a mountain settlement and to create an action plan in terms of expanding the area of the law.

Another initiative is to establish “Mountain Week”, which will promote the development of mountain areas and mountain resorts of Georgia.

Also a faculty of the Sustainable Development of Mountains will be created at the Georgian Technical University.

Since the launch of the Mountain Law 1,730 villages have been recognised as high-mountainous settlements in Georgia, where 243,000 residents benefit from the law.

A total of 66 million GEL in financial assistance was allocated to people living in Georgia’s mountainous areas in 2017.