Georgia’s Security Services seize documents from supermarkets and distributors in food prices probe
Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG) has begun seizing documents from retail chains and distribution companies as part of a probe into high food prices, launched following a call by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Information about SSG activities in markets and distribution entities emerged on Thursday afternoon, and was later confirmed to local media by the agency itself.
‘There are dozens of [court] orders, and documents are being seized from various companies for the purpose of further investigative actions’, the agency said, adding:
‘In this case, the investigation focuses on the process of price formation, and documents in electronic form are being requested through court orders to study this. We are not concerned with other financial matters, as they are not part of the current investigation’.
In response to the reports, the Georgian Retail Association issued a statement, noting that ‘all member companies fully and uninterruptedly cooperate with the investigative authorities’. According to the association, the SSG has requested certain documents from its member companies, including contracts, primary accounting records, invoices, and receipts.
‘The relevant procedures are being carried out in a calm environment, in full compliance with legal norms and established procedural frameworks’, the organisation added.
Some supermarket chains, including Agrohub and Fresco, publicly confirmed to the media that the SSG had visited their offices.
‘They requested documents and database records. There are some items to prepare according to the dates; we will compile the documentation and provide it’, Agrohub director Giorgi Jashiashvili told TV Pirveli.
The SSG announced its inquiry into product prices on 24 December 2025, noting that ‘appropriate strict legal measures will follow any unlawful actions that harm the interests of Georgian citizens and our country’s economic security’.
The agency’s announcement was preceded earlier the same day by a video address from Kobakhidze, in which he acknowledged high food prices in Georgia, attributing them to large markups and high profits. He promised to work with distributors and retailers on the issue, but also called for law enforcement to investigate possible ‘cartel-like’ practices.
This was followed by the creation of a government coordination commission on product prices at the end of December, led by Kobakhidze and including several ministers, as well as the Competition Agency. The commission held its first meeting on Tuesday, announcing that, in addition to food, it would also examine fuel and medicine prices.
The next day, it was reported that the commission had met with representatives of retail chains, with the government administration releasing remarks from Kobakhidze. Similar to his December video address, he highlighted the ‘doubling’ of the number of stores in Georgia.
‘Georgia has 113 supermarkets per 100,000 people, compared with 45 in Germany and 62 in Austria. Some countries have even lower figures’, Kobakhidze said, claiming that ‘this ultimately affects prices and places a burden on the population’.
Although high food prices have long been a topic of discussion in Georgia, the causes and solutions highlighted by Kobakhidze sparked debate, with some noting that the government may be using high prices as a pretext to increase pressure on the business industry.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
