On September 17, 2018, around 300 truck drivers held a protest near the Revenue Service’s customs clearance economic zone in Tbilisi. The demonstrators opposed the Ministry of Finance’s decision to ban wheat imports by road transport in Georgia. According to the protesters, this decision would leave up to 3,000 people unemployed. “With this decision, the wheat market will fall into the hands of a monopolist connected to the government,” they claimed, demanding that the ministry reverse its decision.

Finance Minister Ivane Machavariani explained that the restriction aimed to address traffic problems caused by large wheat trucks at the Lars border checkpoint between Georgia and Russia.

On September 20, one of the protesters climbed onto the roof of a building inside the customs clearance zone and threatened to set himself on fire if the minister did not come. He climbed down after Machavariani arrived. The minister later announced that the ministry would postpone the enforcement of the restriction on wheat road transport until October 1, 2019.