Azerbaijan 

On 29 April, the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers decided to extend the ban on entry into and exit from the country until 31 May. An exception was made for freight and charter flights.

The State Migration Service of Azerbaijan extended to 30-60 days the period of stay for foreigners and stateless persons in the country’s territory. In addition, State Migration Service announced that as of April 27, foreigners and stateless persons in the country will be able to obtain permits for temporary and permanent residence, as well as work permits.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted Azerbaijan`s contributions to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic both globally and regionally. Speaking at a press conference, he noted that discussions on the fight against coronavirus were carried out at a recent meeting through videoconference held on the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan, adding he also attended the event. The WHO Director-General hailed Azerbaijan`s global contribution to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. He said that Azerbaijan donated $5 million for this global struggle.

The European Union announced the financing of a campaign to help families in need, as well as young people with disabilities, to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic in Azerbaijan. 213 families in Azerbaijan received basic food packages as part of the campaign so far and it is planned that the campaign would continue and reach more than 500 families next week.

The current tally of infected persons in Azerbaijan stands at 1766, with 23 reported deaths.

Georgia

Georgian Minister of Finance Ivane Matchavariani spoke about the details of the social assistance plan. “All hired employees who lost their jobs, their income, during the crisis after the declaration of the state of emergency, will receive 1,200 lari as financial assistance over six months, meaning they will receive 200 lari per month,” he said. 

He added that every employer, company, or legal entity that retains a workplace (up to 1500 lari) will be exempted from the 750 lari income tax per person, and this will be done for the next six months. At the same time, he said, it is very important that social assistance also applies to the self-employed and noted social assistance services will be involved in the process of identification of such people.

Speaking on pensions, Matchavariani stated that the government intends to begin indexing pensions to inflation and economic growth. An increase in pensions for people less than 70 years old will be adjusted based on the inflation rate, while an increase of pensions for people above 70 will be adjusted based on 80 per cent of economic growth as well as the inflation rate,” he said.

The World Bank (WB) announced that it would provide $80 million to Georgia under the Fast Track COVID-19 Facility to mitigate the health and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank is also collaborating with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to provide an additional $100 million under a joint co-finance arrangement. “Through our rapid support we are helping save lives and protect the livelihoods of those impacted by the pandemic during this challenging time. We estimate that the total World Bank Group financing package for Georgia COVID-19 response will be approximately $200 million in new financing, in addition to the approximately $300 million funds in our pipeline for 2020-2021 for projects in support of broader development needs, such as digital connectivity and infrastructure”, said Sebastian Molineus, World Bank Regional Director for the South Caucasus. 

This project is a part of World Bank’s broader support for the people of Georgia, and it is the first in a series of three lending operations to be rolled-out over the coming three months. The second upcoming operation will help the government cover the unanticipated financing gap and ensure Georgia’s progress in implementing reforms in areas critical for inclusive economic growth. The third intends to support the jobs agenda as well as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that have been affected by the pandemic.

The current tally of infected persons in Georgia stands at 517, with 6 reported deaths.