Home Appliances Produced in Kutaisi to Export to Poland and Portugal

KUTAISI, Georgia – Home appliances made in the Kutaisi Free Industrial Zone (FIZ) in Georgia, stoves, washing machines and electric heaters, have been exported to Poland and Portugal for about a month.

According to the General Director of Egyptian company Fresh, Mikheil Tigishvili, the FIZ products are mainly sold in CIS countries, though, after the signing of the Association Agreement with EU, Kutaisi produced appliances will be sold in the Polish and Portuguese markets.

Tigishvili stated that Georgian home appliances are 30% cheaper than European. So the company hopes that Georgian products will be competitive in the European market because of the price.

LLC Fresh-Georgia is a subsidiary of the Egyptian-based Fresh Electric Company, producing home appliances including gas cookers, water heaters and washing machines. The company set up manufacturing facilities in Kutaisi FIZ in 2009.

The Kutaisi Free Industrial Zone was established in 2009, located in Kutaisi, the second largest city in Georgia. It includes access to the railroad and the country’s main East-West highway. The benefits of the free zone include: Special economic and legal regime, tax incentives, simplified procedures for business registration, less number of licenses and permissions, simplified procedures for obtaining licenses and permissions, no transaction costs, and no currency restrictions. 7 Egyptian companies are operating in Kutaisi FIZ at this time.

By Ana Akhalaia

Edited by Chloe Diamond