Georgia’s government does not plan to introduce anti-crisis measures or cut excise taxes to curb fuel prices, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said, effectively rejecting an official appeal from the business community.

Axar.az reports, citing Georgian media, that commenting on the sharp rise in fuel prices, the prime minister attributed the increase to external political factors.

“At this stage, the issue is not under consideration. You know that rising fuel prices are caused by the conflict in the Middle East. We can only hope that the conflict will be resolved soon, which would naturally lead to lower fuel prices. We will monitor developments,” Kobakhidze said.

According to Georgia’s National Statistics Office (Geostat), petrol prices in the country have risen by 30% over the past year, while diesel prices have increased by 54%. Annual inflation reached 5.6% in September, with fuel accounting for 2.2 percentage points.