Business Relationships

Business contacts between Lower Silesia and Georgia are my priority.

We already have great friendly and local government relations, now it's time for business. I want Wrocław and Lower Silesian companies to be present in the South Caucasus. This region is extremely attractive and creates new business prospects. Lower Silesian entrepreneurs and local government officials who have been traveling to Georgia on economic missions for several years are well aware of this.

This business pays off

Annually, 9 million tourists come to Georgia, which is over twice as many as this country’s citizens. The real estate market is developing well, especially those intended for rent, but not only that, for example, a hotel investment can pay for itself even in 3.5 years. It all shows that the market is incredibly absorbent and prospective. The citizens of Turkey and Russia, and more and more often the British, are active there. Georgians, however, are also interested in cooperation with Poles. It is important for our entrepreneurs to see this opportunity, and I would like them to be companies from Wrocław and our region.

A chance for Lower Silesian companies

Due to its location, Georgia is a kind of communication hub, as it ensures connectivity between West Asia, Central Asia and Europe. Through Georgia, Polish goods and services have easier access to the markets of the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, as well as Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Georgians want to cooperate with Lower Silesian companies, especially from the IT, construction, energy and tourism sectors. Infrastructure investments have good prospects, a lot is being built and modernized there, e.g. roads, sports facilities or hydroelectric plants, heavy industry and mining are developing (Georgia obtains significant amounts of manganese ore). Lower Silesian companies that cooperate with KGHM can find partners in Georgia.

Running a business and taxes

Georgia has a very well-educated workforce. All costs related to employment are tax in the amount of 20%. For comparison - in Poland it is about 50 percent. In Georgia, the Estonian tax method is used, i.e. a company that generates income until it consumes profits in the form of dividends, does not pay taxes.

According to the Doing Business report, Georgia is among the top 10 countries to run their own business. It is a country open to investment. This is facilitated by simplified economic law, e.g. a company can be registered and opened in one day. Many mandatory licenses and permits have been abolished. Customs clearance times have been reduced. Interestingly, in Georgia, social benefits are financed by the state. Therefore, the entrepreneur does not have to pay contributions related to the employment of the employees.

Georgia - European Union

Georgia is striving for membership in the European Union and NATO, which is of the key importance for business and tourist contacts.

On March 28, 2017, the EU introduced visa liberalization and from that day Georgian citizens have been able to travel to European Union countries without visas - up to 90 days in six months. Earlier, in 2011, the EU-Georgia agreements on visa facilitation and readmission entered into force. Importantly, Poles, regardless of the destination, can enter Georgia without visas, and when crossing the border, you must show a passport or ID card.
As of 1 July 2016, the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, is fully in force.
Since 2009, Georgia has been a member of the Eastern Partnership, which is to deepen political ties and economic integration of the European Union with six partner countries of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. This group, apart from Georgia, includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.

Polish-Georgian Chamber of Industry and Commerce

The consulate cooperates with the Polish-Georgian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, which was established in Wrocław in 2017. It brings together companies from various industries such as: medical, industrial, raw materials, food, services and IT. Importantly, the Chamber operates under the aegis of the Embassies of the Republic of Poland in Tbilisi and the Embassy of Georgia in Warsaw and the most important Polish and Georgian business support institutions.