On the Development of High Mountainous Regions

Law of Georgia

On the Development of High Mountainous Regions

The policy implemented by the State with respect to high mountainous regions is part of the country's regional development policy and is aimed at ensuring the equal socio-economic development of the entire territory of Georgia and at resolving the social and economic problems of persons living in high mountainous regions.

The purpose of this Law is to determine benefits for stimulating the socio-economic progress of high mountainous regions guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia, which ensure the well-being of persons living in high mountainous regions, the raising of their standard of living, the promotion of employment, and the improvement of their social and economic situation.

Article 1. Definition of terms The terms used in this Law shall have the following meaning for the purposes of this Law:🔗

a) subscriber (household consumer) – a person permanently residing in a high mountain settlement who has, with the holder of the relevant licence (licensee), a contract executed in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of Georgia on the provision of electricity supply services;

b) high mountain region – high mountain settlement;

c) high mountain settlement – a settlement provided for by paragraph 1 of Article 4 of the Organic Law of Georgia "Local Self-Government Code", which is included in the list of high mountain settlements approved by the Government of Georgia;

d) teacher – a person with the professional knowledge, skills and relevant qualification defined by the teacher's professional standard, who teaches at least one subject in a legal entity of public law founded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia – a general education institution and/or a vocational educational institution founded by the state;

e) National Council for Mountain Development (hereinafter – the Council) – a collegial advisory body created on the basis of this Law for the purpose of the development of high mountain settlements, the promotion of coordination of the activities of the relevant ministries and the elaboration of the policy for the development of high mountain settlements;

f) person permanently residing in a high mountain settlement – a citizen of Georgia registered and actually residing in a high mountain settlement, who has been granted the status of a person permanently residing in a high mountain settlement in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of Georgia;

g) actual residence – the permanent presence of a natural person in a high mountain settlement, which is confirmed by the combination of the evidence obtained and the facts established in the relevant administrative proceedings;

h) medical personnel – a doctor, a nurse employed in a medical institution located in a high mountain settlement and provided for by this Law;

i) calendar year – 12 consecutive calendar months.

Law of Georgia of 5 July 2018 No. 3035 – website, 11.07.2018.

Law of Georgia of 16 March 2021 No. 355 – website, 18.03.2021.

Law of Georgia of 30 November 2023 No. 3841 – website, 15.12.2023.

Article 2. Regulation of issues related to the status of a highland settlement 1. By hypsometric altitude, a settlement located at an altitude of 1500 metres above sea level or higher shall be considered a highland settlement. The Government of Georgia is entitled, taking into account various criteria (inclination of the mountain slope, condition of infrastructure, climatic conditions and natural environment, scarcity and paucity of agricultural land, demographic situation, including aggravated migration processes), to grant the status of a highland settlement to a settlement located at an altitude of not less than 800 metres above sea level. In an exceptional case, taking into account the criteria defined by this paragraph, the status of a highland settlement may also be granted to a settlement located below 800 metres above sea level.🔗

1¹. The status of a highland settlement shall be granted to a settlement located in the territory adjacent to the dividing line with the occupied territories of Georgia, at an altitude of not less than 800 metres above sea level.

1². If 80 per cent or more than 80 per cent of the settlements of a municipality have been granted the status of a highland settlement, the status of a highland settlement shall also be granted to another settlement of that municipality located at an altitude of not less than 800 metres above sea level.

1³. The administrative centre of a municipality provided for by paragraph 1² of this Article shall, under the procedure established by the same paragraph, be granted the status of a highland settlement if it is located at a hypsometric altitude of 1000 metres or higher.

2. Irrespective of being located at the corresponding altitude above sea level, the status of a highland settlement shall be granted to settlements located in the following historical-geographical regions of Georgia: Khevi, Mtiuleti, Pankisi Gorge, highland Ajara, Gudamakari Gorge, Pshav-Khevsureti, Tusheti, Upper Svaneti, Lower Svaneti, Lechkhumi, Racha.

3. A settlement shall be granted the status of a highland settlement in the form of inclusion in the list of highland settlements. The list of highland settlements shall be approved by the Government of Georgia by Resolution, upon the submission of the Council.

4. For the purpose of considering the question of the expediency of including a settlement in the list of highland settlements/removing it from the list of highland settlements, the Ministry of Regional Development of Georgia, the relevant municipality, the relevant State Representative, the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara shall apply to the Council with an appropriate request.

5. This Law shall extend to highland settlements located in the occupied territories of Georgia after the full restoration of Georgia's jurisdiction over the relevant territory.

6. If it is impossible to determine the question of attributing a settlement to a historical-geographical region of Georgia provided for by paragraph 2 of this Article, the question of attributing the settlement to a historical-geographical region shall be decided by the Government of Georgia upon the submission of the Council.

Law of Georgia of 20 September 2018 No. 3455 – website, 09.10.2018.

Law of Georgia of 9 June 2020 No. 6032 – website, 19.06.2020.

Law of Georgia of 16 April 2025 No. 488 – website, 16.04.2025.

Article 3. Granting, termination, suspension, restoration of the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement to an individual 1. The decision on granting, termination, suspension, restoration of the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement to an individual shall be made by the mayor of the relevant municipality.🔗

2. The authority provided for by paragraph 1 of this Article is an authority delegated to the municipality by the State.

3. The amount of financial resources necessary for the exercise by the municipality of the delegated authority provided for by paragraph 1 of this Article shall be determined by the Law of Georgia on the State Budget of Georgia for the relevant year.

4. Sectoral supervision over the exercise of the delegated authority provided for by paragraph 1 of this Article shall be exercised, in accordance with the Organic Law of Georgia "Local Self-Government Code", by the Ministry of Regional Development of Georgia.

5. An individual shall be granted the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement if he/she meets the following criteria:

a) is a citizen of Georgia;

b) is registered in a high-mountain settlement;

c) during each calendar year, actually resides in the high-mountain settlement for a total period of 9 months or more. If the high-mountain settlement is located at an altitude of 2000 metres above sea level or higher, the period of actual residence in the high-mountain settlement determined by this subparagraph shall be a total of 6 months or more during the calendar year.

6. A person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement shall have the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement terminated if:

a) died;

b) changed the registration address (except in the case of registration of the said person in another high-mountain settlement);

c) left the high-mountain settlement, if this results in a violation of the requirement established by subparagraph "c" of paragraph 5 of this Article, except for the cases provided for by paragraphs 7 and 8 of this Article;

d) lost the citizenship of Georgia.

7. An individual shall retain the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement if he/she left the high-mountain settlement for a certain period for the purpose of treatment or undergoing national military service of conscripts, or if, in accordance with the legislation of Georgia, pre-trial detention was imposed on him/her as a measure of restraint.

8. An individual shall have the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement suspended if:

a) the court imposed imprisonment as a punishment on him/her;

b) left the high-mountain settlement for the purpose of obtaining higher or vocational education and no longer meets the requirement established by subparagraph "c" of paragraph 5 of this Article.

9. In the case provided for by subparagraph „a“ of paragraph 8 of this Article, the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement shall be suspended for a natural person from the day the guilty verdict rendered by the court of final instance against him/her enters into legal force or from the day of expiry of the term for appealing a guilty verdict that has entered into legal force to a higher instance court. The status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement shall be restored to a natural person if, within 1 month after release from the imprisonment facility, he/she actually lived in a high-mountain settlement.

10. In the case provided for by subparagraph „b“ of paragraph 8 of this Article, matters related to the suspension of the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement for a natural person shall be determined by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia. The status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement shall be restored to a natural person if, within 1 month after the completion/termination of studies, he/she actually lived in a high-mountain settlement.

11. The mayor of the municipality shall be obliged, after the issuance of the act provided for by paragraph 1 of this Article, to provide information on the granting, termination, suspension and restoration of the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement to the Legal Entity of Public Law within the governance sphere of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia – the State Services Development Agency, within 1 week from the adoption of the decision.

12. The information provided for by paragraph 11 of this Article about a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement shall be reflected in the register of persons permanently residing in high-mountain settlements in accordance with the rules approved by the Minister of Justice of Georgia. The rules for maintaining the register of persons permanently residing in high-mountain settlements shall be approved by the Minister of Justice of Georgia.

13. Administrative bodies shall be obliged to provide the mayor of the respective municipality with information confirming the factual circumstances defined by this Article.

14. The rules for the granting, termination, suspension and restoration of the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement, including the determination of the actual residence of a natural person in a high-mountain settlement, as well as matters related to the said procedures that require additional regulation, shall be determined by the rules for the granting, termination, suspension and restoration of the status of a person permanently residing in a high-mountain settlement, which shall be approved by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia.

Law of Georgia of 26 July 2017 No. 1252 – website, 29.07.2017.

Law of Georgia of 9 June 2020 No. 6032 – website, 19.06.2020.

Law of Georgia of 21 September 2023 No. 3526 – website, 12.10.2023.

Law of Georgia of 16 April 2025 No. 488 – website, 16.04.2025.

Article 4. Social benefits in a high mountain settlement🔗

1. A person permanently residing in a high mountain settlement shall enjoy the social benefits established by this Law and other legislative and subordinate normative acts of Georgia.

2. The State shall ensure the establishment of the following social benefits in a high mountain settlement:

a) for a person of pension age permanently residing in a high mountain settlement who receives a state pension monthly, in the form of social assistance, taking into account the amount of the state pension determined by the Law of Georgia on the State Budget of Georgia for the corresponding year, the provision of a monthly supplement – not less than 20 per cent of the state pension. The procedure and conditions for the payment of the said supplement shall be determined by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia. Persons permanently residing in a high mountain settlement who receive the social package determined by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia shall be given a monthly supplement in the amount of 20 per cent of the social package provided for them;

b) for medical personnel employed in a medical institution located in a high mountain settlement, founded with the share participation of the State and existing under its management, whose labour is remunerated from the State Budget of Georgia, the provision, in accordance with the procedure determined by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia, of a monthly supplement:

b.a) for a doctor – in the amount of double the state pension;

b.b) for a nurse – in the amount of the state pension;

c) in the winter period (from 15 October of the corresponding year to 15 April of the following year inclusive), the implementation of appropriate measures for the purpose of facilitating the provision of heating to persons permanently residing in a high mountain settlement;

d) reimbursement of 50 per cent of the monthly fee for electricity consumed by a subscriber (household consumer) in a high mountain settlement, but not more than the fee for 100 kWh of electricity consumed;

e) for the first child and the second child born after the entry into force of this Law, one of whose parents is a person permanently residing in a high mountain settlement, the provision, in accordance with the procedure determined by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia, of monthly financial assistance – not less than 100 GEL – for 1 year, and for the third child and each subsequent child – the provision of monthly financial assistance – not less than 200 GEL – for 2 years;

f) granting, in accordance with the procedure established by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, a supplement to a teacher of a general education institution – a legal entity of public law founded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia – located in a high mountain settlement, which, in the case of the full workload of the said teacher, is 150 GEL, and in the case of an incomplete workload is determined in proportion to his/her hourly workload; granting, in accordance with the procedure established by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, a supplement – not less than 35 per cent of the remuneration – to a teacher of a vocational educational institution founded by the State and located in a high mountain settlement. The Government of Georgia shall develop and approve a state programme promoting financial assistance and the development of sport for coaches employed in the field of sport in high mountain settlements;

g) granting a voucher in an increased amount to a pupil of a public school, of a multi-sector public school located in a high mountain settlement, to a student of a vocational educational institution. The procedure and conditions for issuing the said voucher shall be determined by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia;

h) granting, in accordance with the procedure and conditions established by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia or by the head of the administrative body implementing the programme, a supplement – not less than 50 per cent of the remuneration – to a teacher participating in the relevant programme determined by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia and/or an administrative body within its system, who is employed within the framework of the programme in a general education institution located in a high mountain settlement. The supplement provided for by this subparagraph shall not be granted to a person who enjoys the social benefit provided for by subparagraph „f“ of this paragraph.

3. The Government of Georgia shall be entitled to develop additional social programmes for the improvement of the social and economic situation of persons permanently residing in a high mountain settlement. The said programmes shall be approved by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia.

4. Administrative bodies shall be obliged to provide the relevant administrative body with the information held by them for the granting of the social benefits provided for by paragraph 2 of this Article.

Law of Georgia of 5 July 2018 No. 3035 – website, 11.07.2018.

Law of Georgia of 16 March 2021 No. 355 – website, 18.03.2021.

Law of Georgia of 30 November 2023 No. 3841 – website, 15.12.2023.

Law of Georgia of 29 May 2024 No. 4205 – website, 13.06.2024.

Article 5. Tax benefits in a high mountainous settlement 1. A person permanently residing in a high mountainous settlement shall enjoy the tax benefits established by the Tax Code of Georgia in relation to income tax and property tax.🔗

2. An entrepreneurial entity that, in accordance with Georgian legislation, has been granted the status of an enterprise of a high mountainous settlement shall be exempt from taxes for the term and in the manner determined by the Tax Code of Georgia.

3. The administrative body authorized to grant the status of an enterprise of a high mountainous settlement to an entrepreneurial entity, as well as the rules and conditions for granting, suspending and terminating the status of an enterprise of a high mountainous settlement, shall be determined by the rules for granting, suspending and terminating the status of an enterprise of a high mountainous settlement, which the Government of Georgia approves by resolution.

4. The status of an enterprise of a high mountainous settlement shall not be granted to an entrepreneurial entity, or this status may be terminated, if it carries out:

a) an activity subject to licensing/permit issuance;

b) the provision of services (except for services determined by the Government of Georgia);

c) trade in goods, except for the cases provided for by paragraph 5 of this article, as well as the case where processing and supply of goods are carried out.

5. The Government of Georgia is authorized to determine, by the resolution provided for by paragraph 3 of this article, those types of economic activity referred to in paragraph 4 of the same article to which the tax benefit provided for by paragraph 2 of this article shall also apply.

Article 6. Status and composition of the National Council for Mountain Development 1. The Council is a collegial deliberative body created on the basis of this Law by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia. The Council's statute shall be approved by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia.🔗

2. The composition of the Council shall be determined by a Resolution of the Government of Georgia. The composition of the Council shall include representatives of the executive authority of Georgia and the respective administrative bodies, members of the Parliament of Georgia, experts, individual representatives of high mountain regions: mayors of the respective municipalities, the respective state representatives, delegates of the respective districts determined by paragraph 7 of Article 129 of the Organic Law of Georgia "Election Code of Georgia", the Chairperson of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara. The Council shall be chaired by the Prime Minister of Georgia.

3. Not less than half of the composition of the Council shall be representatives of high mountain regions. When adopting decisions on the inclusion in the composition of the Council of the mayors of the respective municipalities, the respective state representatives and the delegates of the respective districts determined by paragraph 7 of Article 129 of the Organic Law of Georgia "Election Code of Georgia", the number of high mountain settlements located in the respective territory shall be taken into account.

4. The organisational support of the Council's activities shall be carried out by the administrative body determined by the Government of Georgia.

Law of Georgia of 26 July 2017 No. 1252 – website, 29 July 2017.

Law of Georgia of 20 September 2018 No. 3455 – website, 9 October 2018.

Law of Georgia of 12 December 2024 No. 80 – website, 27 December 2024.

Law of Georgia of 17 December 2025 No. 1256 – website, 29 December 2025.

Article 7. Powers of the National Council for Mountain Development 1. For the purpose of the development of highland settlements, the Council:🔗

a) submits to the Government of Georgia for approval the Strategy and Action Plan for the Development of Highland Settlements;

b) submits to the Government of Georgia for approval programs for the development of highland settlements, which are aimed at the development of agriculture and other sectors of the economy in highland settlements and at the implementation of infrastructure projects;

c) gives recommendations to the relevant Ministry on issues of the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan for the Development of Highland Settlements and the programs for the development of highland settlements;

d) considers the issue of the advisability of including a settlement in the list of highland settlements/removing it from the list of highland settlements;

e) applies to the Government of Georgia with a proposal to include a settlement in the list of highland settlements/remove it from the list of highland settlements;

f) exercises other powers conferred by this Law and other legislative and subordinate normative acts of Georgia.

2. The Strategy and Action Plan for the Development of Highland Settlements provided for by subparagraph „a“ of paragraph 1 of this Article, as well as the programs for the development of highland settlements defined by subparagraph „b“ of paragraph 1 of the same Article, shall be approved by resolutions of the Government of Georgia.

Article 8. Fund for the Development of Highland Settlements 1. The Fund for the Development of Highland Settlements (hereinafter – the Fund) shall be determined by the Law of Georgia on the State Budget of Georgia for the respective year.🔗

2. The Fund shall be administered in accordance with the procedure established by the Government of Georgia, taking into account the resolutions of the Government of Georgia defined by paragraph 2 of Article 7 of this Law.

3. The Ministry of Regional Development of Georgia, on the basis of a proposal of the Council on the allocation of funds from the allocations provided for the Fund, shall apply to the Government of Georgia.

Law of Georgia No. 488 of 16 April 2025 – website, 16.04.2025.

Article 9. Measures to be implemented in connection with the entry into force of this law 1. The Government of Georgia shall:🔗

a) On the submission of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia:

a.a) by 1 October 2015, ensure the approval of the Regulation of the National Council for Mountain Development;

a.b) by 1 November 2015, ensure the approval of the procedure for granting, terminating, suspending and restoring the status of a person permanently residing in a high mountain settlement;

b) on the submission of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, by 1 December 2015, ensure the approval of the procedure for granting, terminating and suspending the status of a high mountain settlement enterprise;

c) on the submission of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia, by 31 December 2015, ensure the approval of the relevant state programme for the purpose of providing financial assistance to coaches employed in the field of sport in the high mountain settlements provided for by subparagraph „f“ of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this law and promoting the development of sport;

d) by 1 September 2016, ensure the adoption of the relevant resolution for the issuance of the social benefits provided for by subparagraphs „c“ and „d“ of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this law.

2. The Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Protection of Georgia shall:

a) by 1 November 2015, ensure:

a.a) the elaboration and submission to the Government of Georgia of draft normative acts on the issuance of the social benefits provided for by subparagraphs „b“ and „e“ of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this law, and on the introduction of amendments to the relevant subordinate normative acts/normative acts;

a.b) the elaboration and submission to the Government of Georgia of a draft of the relevant subordinate normative act for the issuance of the social benefits provided for by subparagraph „a“ of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this law;

b) by 1 January 2017, ensure the preparation of the relevant proposal on the payment of a supplement to the medical personnel employed in a legal entity of private law – a medical institution located in a high mountain settlement, to which subparagraph „b“ of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this law does not apply.

3. The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and/or the administrative body within its system shall, within the scope of its competence, before the beginning of the 2016–2017 academic year, ensure the elaboration of draft legal acts on the issuance of the social benefits provided for by subparagraphs „f“ and „h“ of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this law (except for the case provided for by subparagraph „c“ of paragraph 1 of this article), and on the introduction of amendments to the relevant legal acts/legal acts, and by 1 November 2015 – the elaboration of a draft normative act on the introduction of amendments to the relevant normative act for the issuance of the social benefit provided for by subparagraph „g“ of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this law.

4. The Ministry of Justice of Georgia shall, by 1 January 2016, ensure:

a) the approval of the procedure for maintaining the register of persons permanently residing in high mountain settlements;

b) creation of the register defined by paragraph 12 of Article 3 of this Law.

5. The Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia and the Ministry of Finance of Georgia shall, by 20 September 2015, ensure the preparation of the relevant draft law for determining the amount of material and financial resources necessary for the exercise of the delegated authority provided for by this Law and its submission to the Government of Georgia.

6. The receipt of the social benefits provided for by paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this Law is not a ground for the abolition of the type of social assistance defined by the Law of Georgia “On Social Assistance” – the subsistence allowance – and shall not be considered an improvement of the socio-economic condition of poor families identified by the assessment system.

Article 10. Normative act declared invalid in connection with the entry into force of this Law 1. The Law of Georgia of 8 June 1999 “On the Social-Economic and Cultural Development of High Mountain Regions” (Legislative Herald of Georgia, No 24(31), 1999, Art. 121) shall be declared invalid from 1 January 2016.🔗

2. Upon the entry into force of this Law, Articles 1–5 and 7 of the Law of Georgia “On the Social-Economic and Cultural Development of High Mountain Regions” shall be declared invalid.

3. For the purposes of subparagraph “a.f” of paragraph 2 of Article 82 of the Tax Code of Georgia and subparagraph “v” of paragraph 1 of Article 206 of the same Code, as well as for other relevant legal acts adopted (issued) before the entry into force of this Law, the villages, communities and towns indicated in the list defined by the annex to the law provided for by Article 6 of the Law of Georgia “On the Social-Economic and Cultural Development of High Mountain Regions” shall be considered high mountain settlements.

Article 11. Entry into force of the Law 1. This Law, except for paragraph 3 of Article 3, paragraph 2 of Article 4 and paragraphs 1–3 of Article 5 of this Law, shall enter into force upon publication.🔗

2. Paragraph 3 of Article 3, subparagraphs “e” and “g” of paragraph 2 of Article 4 and paragraphs 1–3 of Article 5 of this Law shall enter into force from 1 January 2016.

3. Subparagraphs “a”, “b”, “c”, “f” and “h” of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this Law shall enter into force from 1 September 2016.

4. Subparagraph “d” of paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this Law shall enter into force from 1 January 2017.

President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili

Kutaisi,

16 July 2015

No. 4036-rs