The Committee held the hearing about the high interest rate for the pensioners.

According to the Chair, Irakli Kovzanadze, the hearing is held based on the written appeal of the members of the “Citizens”, opposition MPs Levan Ioseliani and Alexander Elisashvili.

The Committee invited the representatives of the National Bank, Finance Ministry, Social Service Agency, and Liberty Bank, as well as various organizations and the civil sector. Prior to the written appeal, the Committee has already been interested in this problem and the Deputy Chair, Irakli Zarkua has held his inquiry. He introduced his position stating that the interest rate on the loans for the pensioners is high indeed.

“My position is that the interest rate for the pensions, including the loan burden is truly high. We shall do our best to mitigate this grave situation for up to 800 000 pensioners. We shall also abstain from triggering the anti-bank attitudes towards any certain bank or bank sector in general, especially against this pandemic and economic crisis”, - I. Kovzanadze stated.

According to L. Ioseliani, this contract of Liberty Bank has been concluded during the preceding Government and all the questions shall be answered why without a competition the agreement was concluded and extended without a transparent tender.

The same Bank disposes the pensions today and imposed the highest interest rate on this most vulnerable stratum of our society. The pensioners shall have other options for their pensions.

The President of Liberty Bank, Koba Gvenetadze, CEO of Liberty Bank, Vasil Khodeli, Deputy Labor Minister, Director of Social Service Agency, Giorgi Tsotskolauri, and the Deputy Finance Minister Giorgi Kakauridze delivered the information and made explanations and answered the questions.

According to I. Kovzanadze, the Committee will develop the recommendations. “I appeal to the Finance Ministry, National Bank, Social Service Agency to jointly work on the mechanisms to facilitate the reduction of the interest rate for the pensioners. It will be active cooperation for consistent reduction of the rates and protection of the rights of the pensioners. I also appeal to the National Bank to, pursuant to the applicable law and within its oversight rights, ensure the systematic monitoring to eliminate the problems related to the pensioner loans”.

The Committee will issue the recommendation to the Social Service Agency to, in agreement with the National Bank and in adherence to the transparency principles, provide the problems of high interest rates upon the conclusion of the new agreement.

The Committee discussed the Bill on Higher Education, introduced by the First Deputy Education Minister, Ekaterine Dgebuadze.

The Bill envisages the Education Minister to grant the right of financing of the students from the occupied territories and with the special educational needs.

Thus, the Bill will ensure accessibility to higher education for these students.

The Committee approved the Bill.