Are local TVs going to find themselves in arrears to President?

Shida Kartli-based regional TV company Trialeti has been in tax arrears since 2004. At the time the TV company owners and the regional governor Mikheil Kareli were on unfriendly terms.

The TV management would disseminate a statement after statement informing that Irakli Okruashvili, Defense Minister at the time and Governor Mikheil Kareli wanted to get power on the TV company. Right in that period the tax service entered the company being imposed a fine as a result. Trialeti TV management didn't recognize the tax and appealed the decision. In a short while the regional authorities were replaced, the Trialeti arrears would monthly increase due to extra charges, eventually having topped GEL 175,000. Later on the authorities reversed the arrears imposed on the company, the television kickstarted paying off. Trialeti TV staff considers that the financial amnesty declared for regional TV companies turned out belated to them since they had already paid GEL 65,000. According to Lado Bichashvili, head of the TV company news service the amnesty is going to be conducive to the development of televisions since the funds saved for the arrears will be applied for other goals.

Independent journalist Arina Tavakarashvili foresees some kind of danger in declaring the amnesty. From her point of view the companies having overcome arrears might find themselves in debt to President and lose the level of independence even more. In addition Tavakarashvili considers that immediate cancellation of debts without having studied specific cases is unacceptable.

"Writing taxes off in a mass and urgent way gives the impression that regional TVs will be in debt to the authorities. They haven't been in equal arrears. Where do these sums come from? The origin of arrears should be find out and write them off in a relevant way. In case the arrears have been accumulated due to some officials' impudence and levied taxes they should be written off but we shouldn't return from the liberal society into a socialist one. Where shall we get these funds? We all are going to lack it. Please don't misunderstand me as if I am counteracting this process, on the contrary, I defend media, but the origin of arrears should be set and the law should rule. Thus, let's don't make TV space the belonging of one particular team," Arina Tavakarashvili said.

Currently the regional TV company is getting ready to switch into a pre-election regime. So far no kind of activity is being observed in Gori either from the governing party or the opposition forces. Media monitoring in the course of elections is going to reveal whether the television will get into debt to President.