GEORGIA BORDER SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

UNCLAS TBILISI 001047 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/ACE - SALTMAN-WINANS USCBP FOR INA RWATT AND KCHAISSON SIPDIS E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: GBSLE GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA BORDER SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORTING CABLE - MARCH & APRIL 2007 ¶I. ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: ¶1. Prime Minister Zurab NOGAIDELI appointed Mindia GADAEVI as the Head of the new Revenue Service. Mindia GADAEV, will have three deputies. Irakli SIRADZE will head Customs, Koba Abuladze will head the Tax Department and David KARSELADZE will head the Financial Police Department. All the appointees are under 40 years old. The appointment of Mindia GADAEV as Head of the newly formed Revenue Service is a positive step forward in the fiscal reform and tax compliance taken by the Minister of Finance. II. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED: ¶1. Tools for facilities maintenance for GBP (HSBP1006P13148) ¶2. 6 PC's, 6 monitors, 2 printers for PIRS support at New Batumi Airport III. PENDING DELIVERIES AND PROCUREMENTS: ¶1. Development of statements of work for Customs and Border Police Units at the Tbilisi Airport and Batumi Airport. (Computers and related equipment, portable radios and base stations, chargers and batteries, cctv monitor with multi-plexer, safes) ¶2. Development of statements of work for equipment for the Border Police remote border station areas. (Survival gear, snow mobiles, and thirty 4x4 Niva Lada vehicles) ¶3. Development of statements of work for special purpose vehicles for the Border Police in remote border areas. (All terrain vehicles for off-road use) ¶4. Development of statements of work for marked utility vehicles for Customs at Sea Ports, Airports and Border Crossing Points.(Twenty vehicles 4x4 with low maintenance costs, produced in the region, able perform multi- functions and clearly marked "CUSTOMS" with logo) IV. TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD: ¶1. March 2 - A joint team of 7 Georgian Customs and Border Police Management Officers visited DHS/CBP Headquarters in Washington, D.C., CBP Canine Academy in Front Royal, VA, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, GA., and the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM., for the International Visitor Program. They were accompanied by GBSLE Advisor Glen Schroeder and GBSLE Translator Tina Magradze. The training concluded on March 10. The trip was well received and trip reports �A;were submitted and reviewed. ¶V. TRAINING PLANNED FOR May 2007: No training reported for this period. VI. MEETINGS: ¶1. March 6 - GBLSE Advisor met with the Army Corps of Engineers and received a briefing on construction projects in progress. All construction projects are proceeding as scheduled with the exception of the Revenue Service Academy at Lilo due to local permit problems, which are expected they will be resolved soon. ¶2. March 14 - GBSLE Advisor attended a Customs Reform meeting at the DCM's residence. The meeting was attended by USAID, key embassy officers, OSCE and members representing the EU and the DCM from the Turkish Embassy. The meeting was productive and useful contacts were made by the GBSLE advisor. ¶3. March 15 - GBSLE Advisor attended a donors meeting conducted by the GBP wherein a exchange of ideas with regard to training priorities developed by the GBP for FY 2007 were discussed by the GBP and donors. ¶4. March 20 - GBSLE Advisor met with the IOM Director and received a PIRS update. ¶5. March 22 & 23 - GBSLE Advisor met with OSCE representatives and discussed the representative roles in training and assisting the GBP as part of OSCE's semi- annual charter process. ¶6. March 22 - GBSLE Advisor Nelson met with James O'Neill,L3-Titan Contractor and discussed an issue involving GeoInfoCom, a subcontractor of L3-Titan, a contractor for GBSLE. ¶7. March 27 - GBSLE Advisors inspected and evaluated the GBP Operations at the Sadakhlo Port of Entry and inspected the new Port of Entry construction. The project is on schedule and is 70% complete. ¶8. April 2 - GBSLE Advisor Nelson attended the Commissioning of the Coast Guard Cutter "Orbi" at Military Port of Poti. ¶9. April 3 - GBSLE Advisors met with the Head of the Revenue Service, Mr. Mindia Gadaev and gave a briefing on the GBSLE Program. Also discussed was the new Customs Academy scheduled for construction. Mr. Gadaev briefed the GBSLE Advisors on the new Revenue Service plans. ¶10. April 4 - GBSLE Advisors met with Neils Jensen, Project Leader for Customs Legislation and Procedures for EU Customs Project and discussed Customs Enforcement authority in the areas of Search and Seizures. ¶11. April 9 - GBSLE Advisor Schroeder met with the contractor from L3 and discussed issues regarding PIRS support and C3 Center issues. ¶12. April 12 - GBSLE Advisors met with Border Police and Customs management at the Tbilisi Airport to discuss equipment needs. ¶13. April 17 - GBSLE Advisor Schroeder met with GBP Deputy Koba Bochorishvili to discuss equipment needs. ¶14. April 18 - GBSLE Advisor Schroeder participated in a Donor's Meeting hosted by the EU. ¶15. April 18 - GBSLE Advisor Nelson met with Mr. Irakli Siradze, Deputy Head of the Revenue Service to discuss the construction of the new training facility at Lilo and the possibility of a trip to the United States to visit the training academy at FLETC and the computer center in VA. ¶16. April 19 - GBSLE Advisors met with USAID's Business Climate Reform, Chief of Party, Olin McGill and discussed the possibility of sending the Fiscal Reform Team Leader to the United States with a delegation from the Revenue Service in the future. ¶17. April 20 - GBSLE Advisors met with the Deputy Minister of Finance, Malkhaz Begiashvili and his staff to discuss the construction of the new Revenue Service Academy (formerly the Customs Training Facility). Also present were representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and Customs. ¶18. April 22 - GBSLE Advisor Schroeder traveled to Batumi/Poti to evaluate the Motorola radio on the Coast Guard vessel Orbi. ¶19. April 26 - GBSLE Advisor Nelson met with Mr. Vato Lashkaradze, the Section Chief of the Revenue Service's IT Division to get information on the procurement of a server application Java compatible - SOClass based software. ¶20. April 30 - GBSLE Advisors met in Batumi with Rear Admiral Philip H. Greene, Jr., U.S. Naval Forces Europe. He is the Director for Policy, Resources, and Strategy. We discussed the GBSLE Program and areas of mutual interest to the region. VII. LIAISON AND COORDINATION: ¶1. March 31 - April 7 - DHS/CBP GBSLE Program Manager Karen Chaisson visited Republic of Georgia and conducted a review of the GBSLE Program. She met with the GBSLE advisors and their staff and reviewed the progress of the project. During her visit she met with embassy officers and GBP and Customs officials to discuss the progress of the program and to brief them on current and future funding to support their individual needs. ¶2. GBSLE advisors met with EU Donors at two donor meetings during the months of March and April to discuss future training needs of the GBP. ¶3. March 21 - GBSLE advisors attended a celebration of the Georgian Border Guard's anniversary. ¶4. April 2 - GBSLE advisor Nelson attended the Commissioning of the Coast Guard Cutter "Orbi" ¶5. GSBLE advisors continued participation in the Security and Law Enforcement Working Group Chaired by DCM Mark Perry. VIII. CONSTRUCTION: ¶A. Kazbegi Border Crossing Station Contractor - Inzhmsheni - Current contract completion date - 14 May 2007 - Contract value - $2,311,630.50 - Percentage of completion - 48% ¶B. Sadaklo Border Crossing Station Contractor - Archstudia - Current contract completion date - 17 July 2007 - Contract value - $2,069,679.54 - Percentage of completion - 71% ¶C. Mestia Grass Airfield Contractor - Alioni - Current contract completion date - 15 June 2007 - Contract value - $851,879.00 - Percentage of completion - 65% ¶D. Chakvi Radar Station Contractor - Lindsay - Current contract completion date - 2 April 2007 - Contract value - $594,800,00 - Percentage of completion - 80% ¶E. Anaklia Radar Station Contractor - Alioni 99 - Current contract completion date - 21 May 2007 - Contract value - $373,000 - Percentage of completion date - 45% ¶F. Gonio Radar Station Contractor - Lindsay - Current contract completion date - 18 September 2007 - Contract value - $501,700,00 - Percentage of completion - in design ¶G. Lagodekhi Border Crossing Station Contractor - Alioni 99 - Current contract completion date - 17 November 2007 - Contract value - $775,270.00 - Percentage of completion - in design ¶H. Remote Border Posts (Task Order 0002) Contractor - Alioni 99 - Current contract completion date - 17 November 2007 - Contract value - $1,040,315.00 - Percentage of completion - in design ¶I. Remote Border Posts (Task Order 0004) Contractor - Alioni 99 - Current contract completion date - 17 November 2007 - Contract value - $720,797.00 - Percentage of completion - in design ¶J. Revenue Service Training Facility Contractor - Lindsay - Current contract completion date - 17 November 2007. - Contract Value - $704,800 - Percentage of Completion - in design 50% VIIII. RED FLAG ISSUES: Border Police - None Customs - None POC for this report is Christopher M. Nelson, Chief of Party, GBSLE. TEFFT