AYFB Addresses to Government: Only Highest Standards of Transparency and Intense Dialogue Can Tackle Energy Sector Problems

“The energy sector development challenges prove that today, transparency is the major problem and the current wrong policy inflicts irremediable damage to the energy sector and, in general, to the economic and political development prospects of Georgia”, the statement by the Association of Young Financiers and Businessmen (AYFB) reads.

“Over the past period, the protests against building hydropower plants are continued. Noteworthy that for many years, the hydropower development problems remain unresolved. We believe that the problem consists in not any separate project or its specific characteristics, but in system shortcomings expressed in multiple unanswered questions. As a result of the regretful and confusing reality of miscommunication, our society lacks clear positions regarding the benefits of hydropower facilities. Consequently, amid this miscommunication and active misinformation by various public groups, a certain part of our society remains in deep ambiguity.

AYFB believes that the Authorities should confirm their readiness for conducting efficient dialogue over the relevant issues. Consequently, we believe that the current model of communication in the energy sector should be revised. The new approach implies an active dialogue, on the one hand, and the highest degree of transparency, on the other hand.

The groups objecting to the hydropower potential development frequently spread misinformation. In fairness, we also stress that the Government’s reclusive policy also preconditions this misinformation. Namely, there are many cases, when the government organizations keep information on many issues classified. Consequently, our society feels that the Authorities take such backstage decisions that affect their everyday life. Therefore, we believe that attempts of hiding information and the low degree of transparency create grounds for misinterpretations regarding the current developments in the energy sector. As a result, the mentioned groups use these factors to mislead our society. Therefore, it is important that the Authorities provide such platform of communication that would consolidate, not split our society. Therefore, the policy-making bodies should instruct each government office to show high responsibility and carry out maximally open and transparent policy. We notify you that, regretfully, our organization has faced this reclusive and unclear policy of the Authorities.

Over the past months, we have been trying to get information on financial turnover in the energy sector, construction of high-voltage infrastructure, detailed tariffs of imported electricity (the so-called contractual prices), or any other detailed electricity tariffs. However, regretfully, government offices provide unclear answers and demonstrate absolutely unacceptable attempts to avoid responsibility. Thus, all the above-mentioned factors and the current reality in the energy sector prove that today we sharply lack transparency and the current wrong policy inflicts irremediable damage to the energy sector and, in general, to the economic and political development prospects of Georgia. Consequently, we believe that only the highest level of transparency can provide efficient mechanisms for giving substantiated answers to all the existing questions. We also stress that it is of vital importance for Georgia to develop the hydropower sector in order to ensure the energy sector stability and political and economic security. Considering the scales and importance of the hydro energy sector, we believe that the mentioned issue should become a subject of the national consensus. Therefore, no questions should be left unanswered regarding benefits, threats, economic or environmental aspects of hydropower plants. We believe that the hydropower sector is the cornerstone of energy sector development. We also stress that the maximal employment of Georgia’s hydropower potential is the only righteous mechanism for strengthening Georgia’s energy independence. Hence, we, the Association of Young Financiers and Businessmen (AYFB) back the hydropower energy development in Georgia and urge the Authorities to take this statement as our goodwill recommendations our recommendations of an ally and not of an ambusher organization.

Thus, we urge all decision-making bodies to provide free access to any information and highest standards of transparency’, the AYFB statement reads.