Who Owned Georgia English.pdf

political party and in Georgia’s case it was much easier to forkover money willingly than to get an unwanted visit from the taxpolice, which was not uncommon 226 .To understand just how these three companies became themarket leaders in Georgia, we have to go back to the turbulentpost-Soviet era, when the centralized market disappeared andthere was no system or vision for market development andno policy framework. Whatever rules had existed were notenforced 227 . Pharmaceuticals were sold on rickety tables at thebazaar or through windows of makeshift pharmacies in privatehomes. Savvy entrepreneurs were able to exploit the opportunitiesfrom the emerging market as foreign products became availablewhile regulation was absent.One way they were able to do this was by securing agreementswith foreign producers for the exclusive distribution of particularmedicines in Georgia; thus becoming the sole local agent of thatproduct 228 .This, Asly says, is perfectly normal practice as there are only ahandful of major pharmaceutical producers and local agents haveto bear heavy distribution and development costs. Making theseagreements is how they get their products distributed to smallmarkets like Georgia. 229 However, Valeri Kvaratskhelia, owner of226 Authors interview with Fady Asly, Chairman of International Chamber ofCommerce. conducted on 10/11/2012227 Report on Pharmaceutical Market in Georgia. p.10 TransparencyInternational Georgia http://transparency.ge/sites/default/files/post_attachments/The%20Pharmaceutical%20Market%20in%20Georgia_June%202012l_0.pdf228 Interview Irakli Margvelashvili; Executive Director Association ofpharmaceutical companies representatives in Georgia. Report onPharmaceutical Market in Georgia. Pages 14-15 Transparency InternationalGeorgia http://transparency.ge/sites/default/files/post_attachments/The%20Pharmaceutical%20Market%20in%20Georgia_June%202012l_0.pdf Accessed05/12/2012229 Author’s interview with Fady Asly, Chairman of International Chamber ofCommerce. conducted on 10/11/201255