Georgian Revenue Service rejects TV Formula’s sanctions reporting as “disinformation”

The Revenue Service of Georgia's Ministry of Finance on Sunday strongly refuted a report aired by the opposition-leaning TV company Formula concerning the enforcement of international sanctions, labeling it “yet another piece of disinformation and slander”.
The statement emphasizes that on June 4, Formula TV formally requested clarification from the Revenue Service regarding international sanctions enforcement procedures. In response, the Service provided detailed information and explicitly asked that the explanation be presented in full and without alteration. However, according to the agency, only a brief excerpt of their response was broadcast, misrepresenting the complete picture.
The Revenue Service further highlights that both the reporters and a respondent in the aired segment made unsubstantiated allegations against one of the agency’s senior officials, presenting them as facts.
Referring to a specific vessel mentioned in the report, the agency clarified that neither the ship nor its owner is subject to international sanctions.

“Regarding the vessel mentioned in the report, customs formalities have confirmed that neither the vessel nor its owning company is subject to international sanctions. Accordingly, it entered the country in full compliance with legislation, and the cargo was processed under import procedures. Thus, the scheme described in the journalistic investigation is complete disinformation. Since the imposition of international sanctions, Georgia has fully complied with established rules and conducts strict monitoring of all types of customs operations at the border. It is clear that the latest wave of baseless accusations against Georgia regarding the enforcement of international sanctions is the fulfilment of yet another assignment/order and represents an attempt to achieve political objectives”, the statement noted.

The agency stated that Georgia actively applies 37 risk profiles to automatically detect sanction-related data, and that this monitoring is conducted by highly trained professionals working around the clock.

“The Revenue Service calls on media outlets to rely on official, reliable, and transparent sources when disseminating information related to sanctions enforcement, which has been repeatedly indicated and named by the agency itself. As of today, 37 risk profiles are active in the customs administration, automatically identifying data related to sanctions and initiating the detection of additional risk factors. This process is carried out 24/7 by highly qualified specialists, repeatedly trained by sanction-imposing countries, operating seven days a week”, the Service said.

“Within the framework of customs control procedures, the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance closely cooperates and maintains constant communication with competent authorities of the United States, the European Union, other partner countries, and continuously informs them regarding the enforcement of sanctions”, the Service concluded.